GoFundMe RaNiya Wright, pictured with her mother, Ashley, on a GoFundMe page for the 10-year-old's funeral costs.
RaNiya Wright, a student at Forest Hills Elementary School in Walterboro, South Carolina, died following a fight at the school on March 25. Wright tragically passed away two days later, on March 27. The 5th grader was 10 years old. A Facebook post from Wright’s mother on the morning of March 27 read, “As of 9:39 my baby girl has gain her wings ?? justice4Ny ?.” The town of Walterboro is located 50 miles west of Charleston. Wright is survived by her parents and a younger brother.
A GoFundMe Page for Wright’s Family Has Surpassed its Goal of $12,000
A GoFundMe page, that was set up to help to pay for the medical costs incurred following Wright’s injuries, had raised nearly $10,000 prior to the little girl’s tragic death. The goal of the page is $12,000. The goal was surpassed less than an hour after Wright’s passing was announced.
That page referred to Wright as being “unresponsive” at the Medical University of South Carolina. The page identifies Wright’s mother as Ashley Wright. The original goal of the page was $10,000. Wright had been in critical condition since being admitted on March 25.
A Friend Described Wright’s Mother as Being ‘Devastated & Angry’
Ashley Wright told the Charleston Post and Courier newspaper on the day of her daughter’s death, “I have a lot to say. I just have to wrap my head around it all.” The woman who set up the GoFundMe page, Angela Carr, told the newspaper, “She is devastated and angry no one is giving her answers for her child. When your kids go to school you expect them to be safe, not get a phone call saying they were airlifting them to the hospital.”
The Other Student Involved Has Not Been Named Due to Her Age
The other student who was involved in the fight has not been identified because of her age. She has been suspended from school. The cause of the fight remains under investigation. WCNC reports that teachers worked to break-up the fight as soon as possible.
A Teacher at Forest Hills Elementary Has Said That Bullying Is a Problem at the School
Many commenting on Wright’s death on Facebook have pointed to bullying as being the root cause of the fight while using the hashtag “Justice4NY.” During the fallout, an anonymous teacher at Forest Hills Elementary told ABC News 4, “I feel that our children aren’t safe. My child had personally went through it on two different occasions. At one point she had to switch schools and it was not handled properly… It’s making me want to leave, making me want to pack up my children and just move on.”
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