Man bleeds out, dies after punching through window at former elementary school, family says

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT/Gray News) - A Mississippi family is grieving a loved one who they say died after he punched through a window and seriously injured himself, possibly out of grief.

Jackson Public Schools says district law enforcement officers responded Sunday to the former Lake Elementary School. Upon arrival, they found a man with severe injuries who later died.

The man’s mother identified him as 38-year-old David Bridges. His family says Bridges punched through a window. The glass cut a main artery, and he bled out.

Bridges’ family says he was dealing with grief, and that may have led to the incident.

Loved ones gathered a few blocks from the building Monday afternoon to remember Bridges and share his legacy.

“An outspoken person, a respectful person, a loving person, but as humans, you know, we all got our share of flaws. But overall, he was a great person, a genuinely good person,” Calesha Esco said.

WLBT reached out to the Hinds County coroner for more information about the circumstances surrounding Bridges’ death.

JPS reported the building only sustained minor damage and that the area was secured and cleaned. The district said operations continued as normal Monday.

While the facility is a former elementary school, JPS currently uses it for its Re-Engaging for All to Progress or REAP Program, which provides an alternative pathway to a high school diploma for students who are at risk of dropping out of high school.