A 12 year old girl, Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa, died in a Los Angeles hospital on Wednesday February 25 after undergoing emergency brain surgery linked to an incident 10 days earlier at her school.
The sixth grader at Reseda High charter school was allegedly struck in the head with a metal water bottle by another student in the hallway while trying to protect her older sister from bullies.
Her family says she suffered severe headaches afterward but was sent home from the emergency room before collapsing with a brain hemorrhage.
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating her death as a homicide according to KTLA leaving her loved ones and the school community in deep shock.
'Major blood vessels in her brain ruptured, and she was rushed to UCLA Children's hospital, placed in an induced coma, and underwent complex emergency brain surgery,' a GoFundMe page set up following Chuquipa’s death said.
'Her family remained by her side, praying and hoping she would come home, but at 3:30 a.m., her heart gave out.'
In a statement a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Unified School District per KTLA said the organization 'is deeply saddened by the death of a Reseda High School student. 'Our thoughts and condolences are with the student’s family, friends, and the entire school community,' the statement continued.
The spokesperson added: "Out of respect for the family and to protect confidentiality, we cannot share details."
Khimberly was known as a protective big hearted girl who stepped in to shield her older sister from a group of bullies that fateful day on February 17.
Her mother Elma Chuquipa has expressed the family's immense pain saying she is full of sorrow at never seeing her daughter again.
A memorial with flowers and candles has been set up outside the school where students and residents gather in grief. The
Comments (0)
Please sign in to join the conversation.
Loading comments...