LAKELAND —
A Lakeland teenager died and a second youth sustained a knife wound Thursday afternoon during an altercation between several juveniles after getting off of a school bus, according to authorities and family.
Jaquez Jermane Mosley, 16, died Thursday, Aug. 30, at Louis Smith Memorial Hospital as a result of the altercation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Agent Russell Mansfield said.
Mansfield said the incident occurred at 3:30 p.m. Thursday on 10th Street.
The Times contacted Lanier County Coroner Patches Phillips, who said Friday he was unable to confirm Mosley’s cause of death because the GBI was still investigating the incident.
“An autopsy will be performed on Jaquez Mosley at the GBI Crime Lab in Macon to determine the exact cause of death,” Mansfield said Friday afternoon. “No arrests have been made at this time.”
Mosley’s aunt, Erica Hill, said the teen was trying to protect his sister from two school mates who had been bullying the girl and another female relative for weeks. She told The Times that many of the teens involved in the altercation are related.
“The signs were there on both sides of the family,” said Hill. “There were other kids involved in the bullying, but they weren’t involved in the stabbing.”
Mosley’s mother, Cynthia Clarkston, said her daughter and niece no longer wanted to attend school because of the alleged torment inflicted by a pair of twins who rode the same bus as the girls.
“It’s been an ongoing thing for about two weeks,” said Clarkston. “... The twin boys would only hang out with girls, but they also bullied girls.”
The girls had been involved in a fight with the twins on Tuesday afternoon, she said. But Thursday afternoon saw a chilling escalation of the bullying as the group of teens exited the bus on Washington Street, according to accounts from Hill and Clarkston.
Clarkston said her son was stabbed in the chest. One of Mosley’s friends entered the fray and he was stabbed in the arm. Clarkston’s niece and daughter were chased by a knife-wielding teen, she said.
Clarkston said the bus stop is located in front of her mother’s house and said she felt there should have been some adult intervention into the fatal scuffle. Hill shared her sentiment.
“Jaquez was very quiet and he pretty much stayed to himself,” said Hill. “I just feel like it was just a
situation where parents on both ends should have stepped in. Now the family is divided.”
The family rift was apparent at the hospital later that day as sheriff’s deputies had to separate factions of the emotional relatives in the aftermath of the tragedy, said Lanier County Sheriff Nick Norton.
“We did assist the City of Lakeland with some crowd control at the hospital that day,” said Norton. “This was a family-on-family ordeal. And naturally, family members came to the hospital to make sure everything was OK.”
Adults who were aware of the bullying problem stated that they brought the issue before high school administrators and even had the entire group of teens sit down together with a local pastor.
“The parents notified the school last week about the bullying situation,” said Hill. “Bullying is not the way. It can lead to jail, or someone getting killed.”
According to the Lanier County High School student handbook, “bullying is an act which occurs on school property, including buses and bus stops, that is a willful attempt or threat to inflict injury upon another person, any intentional display of force, any intentional written, verbal, or physical act that is intended to threaten, harass or intimidate.”
Lanier County Schools Superintendent Keith Humphrey told The Times that incidents of bullying in this case were not brought to his attention.
“I’m not aware of any reports to the school system regarding bullying,” said Humphrey.
The student handbook also states that school administrators will investigate incidents that may occur at the bus stop, and are reported.
“The supervision at the bus stop rests with parents of those children at that bus stop,” the handbook reads.
Humphrey said he is uncertain what role the school system and the high school’s administration will play in this incident.
“Right now, since the investigation is ongoing, we’re not aware of all the facts,” said Humphrey.
The superintendent is certain that the incident occurred off campus and did not take place on a bus.
“Nothing happened on the school bus,” said Humphrey.
From the school’s standpoint, the staff has been notified of the situation and counselors have been made available to council students if needed.
The investigation is still on-going and involves juveniles; therefore no other details will be released at this time, according to the GBI. If anyone has information pertaining to the investigation, please contact the Lakeland Police Department. (229) 482-3309; or the GBI Douglas Office, (912) 389-4103.
Reporter Brittany McClure contributed to this story.
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