Missouri, St. Louis - Teenage girl critically injured after brutal fight with another female teen near Hazelwood East High School, 8 March 2024

[iusedtofloat]

Warning: don't watch the video with volume on. moo

Wish video would be removed from MSM, as it is crime evidence. moo

Truly, it is one of few videos I wish I NEVER saw. Had to literally take my anxiety medication over it. It was so brutal. What that girl did to the other one was truly despicable.

<modsnip - information not specific to this case>

 

[caradana]

snipped for focus @SteveP Thanks for your well thought out post w links.
Adding another idea here re MO. assault statute, which is ordinarily a Class B felony, as you noted.

If "the person inflicts SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY on the victim" * (my CAPS), it is a Class A felony, so carries a longer sentence.

Seems a victim being hospitalized & unconscious for 10(?) days would constitute serious physical injury.

imo

___________________________________
* 565.050. Assault, first degree, penalty...
"2. The offense of assault in the first degree is a class B felony unless in the course thereof the person inflicts serious physical injury on the victim, or if the victim of such assault is a special victim, as the term "special victim" is defined under section 565.002, in which case it is a class A felony."

565.050

Assault, first degree, penalty.

revisor.mo.gov

Agree with @al66pine, thanks @SteveP - an always-insightful gentleman …
Putting on my “if I were a prosecutor” hat,
I’d try her as an adult. MOO: That video is just beyond the pale, this conviction is a lock, and the attacker has destroyed her life as a juvenile no matter how she is tried. She also carries the cross of a rare name and unless she finds a way out from that, she is absolutely unemployable and unacceptable to any higher education for the rest of her life. Period. She’s almost better off in jail than she would be as a paroled 18yo with a destroyed reputation. Her name is out, she will never escape this. There are different kinds of jails and punishment. Societal shunning is more forceful than four walls and three squares. So I’m less interested in trying as adult versus juvenile, and more interested in this macro issue of how we can stop pouring “mutual combat fight” kerosene into race relations in 2024.

 

[SteveP]

<modsnip - quoted post was off topic>
The anonymity afforded by social media emboldens many people to say things they would probably not say, out loud anyway, elsewhere, <modsnip - off topic>

I am appalled by the brutality of the attack on Kaylee Gain. I can't even watch the video again. It makes me sick to my stomach. But it would give me the same sick feeling if it was a person of any race or ethnicity bashing any other person's head into concrete. Race has no need of place in the discussion. JMO

 

[Becky Starkey]

Any indication the assailant was not a native English speaker?
I had a hard time understanding the audio on the vid clips I heard

Ahh, the good old north St. Louis accent! I'm assuming she speaks English, but don't worry if you can't understand it, no one who isn't from there won't understand it either! lol moo(I'm from a nearby town)
And I can't stand to watch it again to try to figure it out, sorry!

 

[seasideForest]

Any indication the assailant was not a native English speaker?
I had a hard time understanding the audio on the vid clips I heard.

The only word I heard and understood from the assailant began with 'b' and it was perfectly comprehensible so I presume the rest of it was also (enraged) English.

 

[seasideForest]

Kaylee's family have spoken out via their attorney, Bryan M Kaemmerer. What they have said deserves to be heard and repeated.

"Although the family would like justice to eventually be served through the legal system, their focus at this time is dedicated exclusively to Kaylee's recovery. The family also asks all members of the community at large to come together to denounce teen violence and bu[ll]ying as there have been far too many recent examples of teen violence that have resulted in significant injuries, and even deaths in some instances.
Kaylee's parents want to make a special request to their fellow parents in the community to ask them to reinforce to their children that physical violence and bullying are never appropriate, and to emphasize to their children that lives of both the perpetrators of teen violence and the victims of violence can be permanently and forever changed as a result of violent incidents that last only a few minutes.

"Lastly, the family wants to emphasize that they do not want any retaliation of any kind to occur toward anyone that was either directly or indirectly involved in this incident.'"
Eta: BBM
Unfortunately it's from the US Mirror which is probably not mainstream media but I will Report my own post to Mod.

Kaylee Gain's family release heartbreaking update on beaten teen's injuries

The family are keeping vigil at Kaylee Gain's bedside as she remains unconscious following an attack which saw her head slammed into a concrete floor near Hazelwood East High School in St Louis, Missouri

www.themirror.com

 

[mickey2942]

The doctors may be purposely keeping her in a coma to alleviate the pain associated with swelling.

As long as she is alive. The perpetrator is not charged with murder. Interesting though, because it isn't like the victim has much of a life now, while the perpetrator is still very much alive.

 

[calli bear]

The only word I heard and understood from the assailant began with 'b' and it was perfectly comprehensible so I presume the rest of it was also (enraged) English.

The North St. Louis accent is most pronounced by a reverse of the "ar" and "or" sounds.

"Forty-four" becomes "Farty Far", and "park the car" becomes "pork the cor."

 

[LaborDayRN]

Location? Per below, not on school property.

"One person is hospitalized with critical injuries after a fight Friday near Hazelwood East High School."

One hospitalized after fight near Hazelwood East High School

One person is hospitalized with critical injuries after a fight Friday near Hazelwood East High School.

fox2now.com

The publicly released announcment from the school did not refer to the location. ^ same source^

I recall reading an article naming the intersection & st names where this occurred & indicating it was a few blocks from the HS.
Sorry no link.

I hate that the media is calling it "a fight". That wasn't a fight, it was a brutal attack! I'll go as far to say attempted murder...IMO

 

[PrairieWind]

Have we heard what happened before the video starts? How they ended up here, why the confrontation was occurring, how the girls knew each other, etc?

 

[arielilane]

Thankful that the brutal inhuman beating of KG was blurred and did not include audio.

Warning: Video and audio is horrific.

@crimeonlinenews

A fight between high school teens #KayleeGain and #MaurniceDeClue leaves Gain in a coma. DeClue's family alleges she's been a victim of repeated bullying. @NancyGrace and Psychologist Caryn L. Stark investigate: https://link.chtbl.com/nQeRqJF3

https://twitter.com/x/status/1770121997629985191

 

[mickey2942]

Have we heard what happened before the video starts? How they ended up here, why the confrontation was occurring, how the girls knew each other, etc?

My husband and I were wondering about the video, the person filming must have known what was going to happen, before the incident, because the filming started BEFORE the actual beating. The video started as soon as Kaylee appears, and the perpetrator is running towards her.

Usually when you see these types of videos, it is when both parties are down on the ground. There is not the information regarding who started the incident. This video is very clear, a premeditated blitz attack. The victim didn't even seem aware of any danger.

I think that is going to be a key element in the process regarding charges and potential trial. I am interested in who did the video, why, and why it was done prior to the incident.

 

[Woodberry]

Thankful that the brutal inhuman beating of KG was blurred and did not include audio.

Warning: Video and audio is horrific.

@crimeonlinenews

A fight between high school teens #KayleeGain and #MaurniceDeClue leaves Gain in a coma. DeClue's family alleges she's been a victim of repeated bullying. @NancyGrace and Psychologist Caryn L. Stark investigate: https://link.chtbl.com/nQeRqJF3

https://twitter.com/x/status/1770121997629985191

So both families are stating that their daughter was bullied?

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

"Student - Parent Handbook and Behavior Guide 2024 - 2025"

FWIW, seems Hazelwood School District has students and/or parents of various linguistic backgrounds.

At link, this Handbook is also available in Spanish, French, Swahili, and Arabic.

Student-Parent Handbook and Behavior Guide / Student-Parent Handbook and Behavior Guide

www.hazelwoodschools.org

Any indication the assailant was not a native English speaker?
I had a hard time understanding the audio on the vid clips I heard.

She’s definitely an American, English speaker. I’ve seen a few videos of her from a younger age.

 

[Rolypolyoly]

Thank you.

Doesn't the school also bear some responsibility? If two students are fighting one day -- why are both not suspended the next day? Whatever happened to zero tolerance?

I agree that even if there was a "reason," there was no excuse for the level of violence we saw.

Just awful.

<modsnip>

And to a previous poster, we have to remember that size isn't everything and just because one person is larger doesn't mean the other isn't scrappy.

None of that matters now though because whatever the original reason, two young lives are ruined and there's no excusing the violence inflicted on Kaylee.

All just MOO, not stated as fact and SPECULATION, make of it what you will.

 

[caradana]

For what it’s worth, MOO, I believe both were probably bullied in various ways. That is one intensely troubled high school, academically, economically, more. MSM citation, here’s US News and World Report on the high school’s 15% math proficiency (lots of other stats too), and this is a community that struggles hard with poverty as well, 60%+ free lunch … I see no evidence at all that this is a particularly kind and nurturing environment. I fully believe that both victim and aggressor here went through a lot, a whole lot. https://www.usnews.com/education/be...ts/hazelwood/hazelwood-east-high-school-11656

 

[EvaOctober]

It isn't; that's actually where I personally found out about it. I did see the suspect's name on another website but won't post it here.

Outside the St. Louis area, there TBH are some much, much bigger stories going on.

I'm sorry, what's bigger than the brutal attempted murder of a child?

My own opinion.

 

[MollyDDD]

As long as she is alive. The perpetrator is not charged with murder. Interesting though, because it isn't like the victim has much of a life now, while the perpetrator is still very much alive.

Nor will she have much of a life if she comes out of the coma.
I wonder if they eventually decide at some point to withhold any form of life support, what would the charge be then for the attacker.

 

[MollyDDD]

So both families are stating that their daughter was bullied?

Seems to be the common excuse these days.

 

[MollyDDD]

I hate that the media is calling it "a fight". That wasn't a fight, it was a brutal attack! I'll go as far to say attempted murder...IMO

I agree.