An 18-year-old woman who was shot by a California school safety officer was put on life support Wednesday, according to her family. They said she was "brain dead" and would not survive her injuries.
Mona Rodriguez of Long Beach was reportedly shot just after 3 p.m. on Monday in the area of Millikan High School. A spokesperson for the family told KNX she was formerly a student at Millikan.
According to Long Beach police, an unidentified Long Beach Unified School District school safety officer was driving in the area when he witnessed Rodriguez allegedly involved in an altercation with a 15-year-old girl near the school. Investigators said an unidentified 18-year-old man and 16-year-old boy were also involved in the dispute.
When Rodriguez, the man and boy attempted to depart the scene, the safety officer allegedly approached the vehicle they were in and fired his weapon as it pulled away. A bullet struck Rodriguez in the "upper body" according to police, but relatives said she was shot in the head.
According to video of the incident posted online, an officer appeared to fire two shots at the car.
Millikan High School administrators confirmed in a statement that no students were injured in the incident.
Long Beach Unified Superintendent Jill A. Baker said in a statement released Tuesday that school safety officers were "highly trained and held accountable to established standards in their profession." She stated that the incident involving Rodriguez would be "assess[ed]."
Long Beach police and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office were conducting an investigation into the shooting as of Wednesday. The school safety officer who fired the shots has reportedly been placed on leave.
KNX has reached out to Long Beach Unified to confirm the conditions of that leave and whether the district was conducting its own investigation into the matter. This story will be updated with additional information as it is received.
Relatives said Wednesday Rodriguez showed no brain activity and remained on life support. Family members were saying their farewells to the 18-year-old mother.
Rodriguez's boyfriend of two years and father to the couple's five-month-old child said, "I just want justice for my girl."
He said he hoped to see the school safety officer allegedly responsible for Rodriguez's condition "in jail."
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"I want him in jail for what he did to my girlfriend," he said. "She did not deserve it. I can't even sleep through the nights. I'm going crazy for myself, you know. I'm used to seeing her 24-7."
Rodriguez's family has established a GoFundMe page to assist with funeral arrangements, legal fees and costs associated with providing for Rodriguez's surviving child. The page stated that Rodriguez is also survived by her mother, four brothers and a sister.
Reporting contributed by City News Service.