David Bridges’ family says the 38-year-old suffered a fatal injury after striking a window at the Jackson school facility.
JACKSON, Miss. — A 38-year-old Mississippi man died after suffering severe injuries at a former elementary school in Jackson, where his family says he struck a window and was badly cut, according to relatives and Jackson Public Schools.
David Bridges was identified by his mother after the Sunday incident at the former Lake Elementary School, local television station WLBT reported. Jackson Public Schools said district law enforcement officers responded to the property and found a man with severe injuries. Bridges later died. His family told the station that he had struck a window and suffered a serious cut. Authorities had not publicly released a detailed official account of how the injury occurred.
Bridges’ relatives said he had been dealing with grief and suggested it may have played a role in what happened. That explanation came from the family and had not been independently confirmed by authorities. WLBT reported that it contacted the Hinds County coroner for additional information about the circumstances surrounding Bridges’ death, but further findings had not been released in the reports reviewed.
Family and friends gathered near the property Monday to remember Bridges. Calesha Esco described him to WLBT as outspoken, respectful and loving, while acknowledging that he had flaws like anyone else. She said that, overall, he was “a genuinely good person.”
The incident occurred at the former Lake Elementary School, a Jackson Public Schools property at the corner of Mount Vernon Avenue and Officer Thomas Catchings Sr. Drive. Although it no longer operates as an elementary school, the district continues to use the location for its Re-Engaging for All to Progress program, commonly called REAP.
The REAP program provides an alternative path toward a high school diploma for students considered at risk of dropping out. Jackson Public Schools’ district directory lists the program at 472 Mount Vernon Ave., the site associated with the former school. The district said the building sustained only minor damage during Sunday’s incident.
School officials said the affected area was secured and cleaned after law enforcement responded. Operations at the facility continued normally Monday, according to the district. No reports reviewed indicated that students or staff were injured or that the incident created an ongoing threat at the property.
Publicly available information remains limited about what happened immediately before Bridges was injured. His family’s account provides the primary description of the window incident, while Jackson Public Schools has confirmed that district officers found a severely injured man at the facility. Officials have not publicly announced findings that establish why Bridges struck the window or whether any other circumstances contributed to his death.
Bridges’ death remains under scrutiny as his family mourns him and awaits additional information. No further findings from the Hinds County coroner or other investigating authorities had been publicly reported in the sources reviewed as of Thursday.
Author note: Last updated October 1, 2026.