Shaquille O'Neal Offers to Pay For 12-Year-Old's Funeral ... After Student Dies In Fight
Published March 19, 2026 9:17 AM PDT
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Shaquille O'Neal is mourning the death of 12-year-old Jada West, who passed away after a fight with a classmate earlier this month ... and the NBA legend is looking to help the grieving family by offering to cover her funeral expenses, saying, "No parent should ever have to bury their child."
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office revealed the gesture this week ... after West, a sixth-grader at Mason Creek Middle School in Winston, Georgia, passed away following an apparent off-campus bullying incident with another student on March 5.
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The DCSO said O'Neal, who serves as Chief of Community Relations for the Henry County Sheriff's Office, was heartbroken by the news and wanted to help the West family by covering the funeral costs so they wouldn't have to bear the burden.
"This story touched my heart the moment I saw it in the media," O'Neal said.
"As a father, my heart goes out to Jada's family. No parent should ever have to bury their child, and if there is anything I can do to ease even a small part of that burden, then it is the right thing to do."
"Our community must surround this family with love, support, and compassion during such a painful moment."
This is one of the many amazing gestures from O'Neal, who's known for hisacts of generosity to his fans -- from tipping a waitress $4k to buying kids shoes at random.
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A GoFundMewas also launched for West ... and police are still investigating the incident.