ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – The family of the Hazelwood East High School student who was involved in a fight that went viral online has given an update on her injuries through their attorney.
Bryan M. Kaemmerer of the law firm McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer confirmed the victim of the assault is Kayleen Gain.
In a statement, Kayleen’s family said she suffered a fractured skull and has brain bleeding and swelling, and that she has not gained consciousness in the week or so since the fight. Doctors will not be able to determine a prognosis for recovery until she regains consciousness.
Kaemmerer said the family requests not only privacy but prayers for their daughter.
According to a St. Louis County Police Department spokesperson, the assault took place on Friday, March 8. Officers received word of a fight in progress just after 2:30 p.m. near the intersection of Norgate and Claudine drives, just north of the campus.
Video of the fight shows more than a dozen teenagers involved in a fight. Kaylee can be seen moving toward another girl in the street. That girl takes Kaylee to the ground and, while on top of her, bashes Kaylee’s head into the pavement.
Police found Kaylee suffering from a severe head injury. She was rushed to a local hospital.
The following day, police arrested a 15-year-old girl in connection with the fight. She’s being held on assault charges.
Kaemmerer said a pair of GoFundMe pages organized by a family friend and Kaylee’s cousin have raised nearly $400,000 to go toward Kaylee’s medical bills.
The Gain family wants justice to come through the legal system, Kaemmerer said; they do not want retaliation of any kind toward anyone either directly or indirectly involved in the fight. In the meantime, their focus is on Kaylee’s well-being and recovery.
The family is asking the community to come together to denounce teen violence and bullying, with the hope that teenagers will understand the long-term, “life-altering consequences” in heated moments and say cooler heads must prevail to prevent future incidents like this.
