The Missouri teenager who was critically injured after her head was slammed into the sidewalk earlier this month had been suspended from school the day before for fighting with another student. Kaylee Gain, 16, sustained a skull fracture and a brain bleed that left her in a coma for two weeks after she brawled with another female teenager.
The incident happened around a mile from Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis on March 8, as reported by The New York Post. Her family revealed on Friday that Kaylee's condition has stabilized, and she has been moved out of intensive care. However, it remains unclear whether she has regained consciousness.
New Revelations
The extent of the brain damage Kaylee has suffered also remains unclear. Kaylee and the other girl, who is currently in juvenile detention, were reportedly part of waring friend groups at their high school.
The family of the accused girl earlier told DailyMail.com that she was the "real victim," alleging that she had been subjected to harassment and bullying before the widely publicized altercation.
They also pushed back against demands to prosecute the 15-year-old as an adult.
It remains uncertain whether Gain was the aggressor or the target in the earlier altercation.
The defense attorney for the minor, Greg Smith, said that the 15-year-old accused of smashing Kayee's head into the concrete had no prior history of violence before the altercation with Kaylee.
He also said her achievements as a violinist and her exemplary academic performance.
"She is what you'd want out of a 15-year-old girl," Smith told The Post of the girl accused of bashing Gain's head.
The lawyer claimed that his client had been mischaracterized following the circulation of the viral footage, whereas Kaylee's friends and family criticized her for the aggressive assault.
Prosecutors plan to advocate for the transfer of the incarcerated teenager's case from juvenile court during an upcoming hearing next week so that she can be tried as an adult.
Different Picture
The agitated aunt of the 15-year-old alleged attacker of Kaylee earlier told the Daily Mail, that her niece, described as an honor student with an exemplary record at the Hazelwood East High School, was acting in self-defense during the widely circulated fight that took place on March 8 in Spanish Lake, Missouri.
The relatives of the accused attacker are urging the juvenile court system to show "compassion" toward the teenager, and are seeking $150,000 in donations to support her legal defense.
Following the altercation, the family of the juvenile suspect reportedly received "multiple racist death threats" and were subjected to alleged attempts of "doxxing," where people sought to release personal information about the teenager.
"The focus should be to pray for the healing and reconciliation of both parties, as this truly was a teenage fight that should've never happened to begin with, but did and spun completely out of control," the relatives of the accused argued.
The family had initially set up a GoFundMe to help with the girl's legal expenses. However, the platform swiftly removed the campaign for violating its terms of service, despite raising nearly $3,000.
The donated funds were returned to the contributors. The defunct fundraiser claimed that the teenager was unfairly depicted as a bully rather than being recognized as a victim in a complex situation, the Daily Mail reported.
The disturbing video of the brawl showed Gain being punched repeatedly and having her head slammed against the pavement, resulting in a life-threatening skull fracture, as described by her family. Two weeks after the assault, Gain remains unconscious, after suffering brain swelling and bleeding.
