A family is mourning the loss of their 12-year-old daughter after she was struck in the head with a metal water bottle at her Los Angeles school.

A memorial for 12-year-old Khimberly continues to grow outside of Reseda Charter High School. Her family said she died after medical complications stemming from what her family described as a bullying incident earlier this month. 

“I feel very bad, destroyed,” her mother, Elma Chuquita, said in Spanish. “It’s not easy to lose a child. It’s not easy to see your child dying in a bed. 

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Friends and family created a memorial for 12-year-old Khimberly outside of Reseda Charter High School.

CBS LA

Chuquita said she was attacked at school on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Days after she was struck in the head with a metal bottle, Khimberly was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered severe bleeding in her brain. She died despite multiple emergency surgeries and life support.

“I was crying. All of her close friends, we were crying.  ” friend Dayari Diaz said. “She always cared about me and my friends.”

Khimberly’s friends and family are demanding justice. They want the student responsible, as well as any teachers or staff who failed to intervene, to be held accountable. 

Khimberly’s mom and classmates are also calling for stronger measures to prevent bullying and protect students. 

“What is happening, there are many schools, and I am not the only mother fighting for justice for her child,” Chuquita said in Spanish. “I know the principal and teachers are also parents, and no one would want to lose a child in this way.”

In a statement, a Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson said the incident “deeply saddened” administrators. 

“Our thoughts and condolences are with the student’s family, friends, and the entire school community,” the spokesperson said. “The District takes the safety and well-being of our students very seriously. We are currently cooperating with law enforcement in connection with this incident.” 

The Los Angeles Police Department said they are investigating this case as a homicide.Â