Kashala Francis cause of death: Did the beating of a 13 year old Houston girl who died days later after slipping into coma- lead to teen’s death?
A 13-year-old Texas girl who passed away days after being beaten on her way home from school died due to complications from a brain tumor according to released medical results.
Kashala Francis, a seventh-grader at Attucks Middle School in Houston, died of complications due to pilocytic astrocytoma, the Houston Chronicle reported, citing the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
Pilocytic astrocytoma is a slow-growing tumor of the brain or spinal cord most commonly found in children and young adults. The underlying cause is unknown, but the tumor can often be cured with surgery, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Kashala’s mother, Mamie Jackson, told KTRK that as many as three girls punched and kicked her daughter as she walked home from school on April 18. Days later, the teen started complaining of a severe headache before falling unconscious and later into a coma.
Kashala died on April 24 after doctors found a tumor in her brain, as well as a buildup of fluid, Jackson said.
RIP 😢🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 #kashalaFrancis 13 year old dies days later following an after school fight. Now #MamieJackson is left grieving the loss of her child because of some wild teens decided to jumped her child and aggravate an newly discovered brain 🧠 tumor…SMDH😤😠😠😠#Blacktwitter pic.twitter.com/iLMQsMIIs9
— Toya Johnson🦋 (@ToyaBK79) April 25, 2019
Kashala Francis cause of death: Did the beating serve to exacerbate girl’s decline?
Houston police say that an investigation into the fight will now shift following the autopsy’s findings to determine if any assault charges may be filed in connection with the off-campus incident.
Prior to the autopsy’s findings, investigators had been probing the teen’s death as a homicide, ABC News reported.
School district officials have said in a statement that they were cooperating with detectives.
‘The Houston Independent School District is deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our students,’ a released statement read. ‘We extend our sincere condolences to the student’s family, friends, teachers and classmates.’
Jackson has said her daughter “did not deserve” to be attacked and had no interest in fighting that day. At least one of the girls laughed during the attack, she said.
‘It’s not fair,’ Jackson told KTRK. ‘She did not deserve that … I’ve never met a person who has come into contact with Kashala who has not fallen in love with her.’
Not immediately understood is whether the brain tumor was latent within Francis or had been triggered as a result of her being pounced upon and if so- what charges the girl’s attackers ought to face.
‘Mama my head hurt’ 13 year old girl dies after jumped by classmates walking home from school
Houston girl, 13, who died days after she was kicked in the head during a vicious fight with middle school classmates was killed by a brain tumor.
Kashala Francis, of Houston, was kicked in the head during off-campus fight on April 18
She slipped into a coma and died April 24 pic.twitter.com/svQ4IVqanL— @WADIBIG (@wadibig) April 30, 2019
