The victim of a stabbing at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg has passed away nearly two years after the assault happened.
In December 2024, two female students got into an altercation in one of the school’s bathrooms, leading to the victim, A’laija Brown, being stabbed multiple times in the face, chest, and hands. Shortly after the incident, a 17-year-old suspect was taken into custody and charged.
Brown died Wednesday at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., but it is still unknown if her death is connected to the stabbing.
“We are coordinating with the youth court to try and have an autopsy done and looking at medical records to see what exactly a medical examiner will say will be the cause of death,” Lamar County District Attorney Haldon Kittrell said. “If, in fact, there is a causal connection between the death and the stabbing, we would be looking at bringing that before a grand jury.”
According to Kittrell, the case has remained under the jurisdiction of the youth court since the initial stabbing. However, Brown’s death could potentially shift the case to the district attorney’s office if investigators determine that her passing was connected to the incident.
However, the case is still in the investigation phase until more information comes out about the specific details of Brown’s death. If a medical examiner finds a tangible connection, they would then have to come before a court and testify.
“They (the youth court) are cooperating with us. All hands are on deck, and I think we’re all working in the same direction, but until I can get someone to come forward to make a connection, that’ll determine how or if we go forward at a criminal perspective,” Kittrell explained.