Las Vegas teen dies after getting ambushed and fatally beaten by 10 people
11/14/2023 5:05 pm PST
UPDATE Nov. 15, 2023:
Las Vegas Metro Police announced Nov. 14 that eight juveniles were taken into custody in connection with Jonathan Lewis' death and booked into the Clark County Juvenile Hall on a charge of open murder.
A video of the attack circulated around social media, which Undersheriff Andrew Walsh said in a news conference was "extremely disturbing."
Lt. Jason Johansson said the fight occurred right after school in an alley. A witness reportedly saw Lewis unconscious in an alley and carried him back to Rancho High School. Johansson said Lewis suffered "unsurvivable head trauma."
He described the "very graphic" video, saying there are about 10 individuals "kicking, stomping, and punching our victim Jonathan as he is on the ground not defending himself and to the point where he becomes unconscious."
The fight was reportedly over stolen wireless headphones and "possibly over a stolen marijuana vape pen" that occurred that week. Lewis and his friend reportedly agreed to fight in the alley after school.
Johansson said Lewis and others walked to the alley and Lewis took off some of his clothing and got into fight one person. Someone threw a punch, and right after, "10 subjects immediately swarmed him, put him in on the ground, and began kicking, punching, and stomping on him."
Investigators determined there were 10 people in the video. Eight have been positively identified.
Lewis was declared brain dead Nov. 7. Following his death, his family donated his organs.
Officials executed nine search warrants and were able to find clothing that the suspects allegedly wore during the attack.
The suspects range between 13 to 17 years old.
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LAS VEGAS (TCD) -- A 17-year-old high school student died Monday after he was beaten by a large group of peers who caused him “substantial bodily injury,” which led him to being put on life support.
According to Las Vegas Metro Police, on Nov. 1 at 2:05 p.m., officers responded to the 1900 block of Searles Avenue after receiving reports about a fight. The incident occurred near a school, and officials administered CPR on the unconscious teen. Medics transported him to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.
KLAS-TV identified the victim as 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis and said the fight occurred close to Rancho High School.
Las Vegas Metro Police said in the news release that investigators determined Lewis had been involved in a fight with 15 other people prior to officers arriving at the scene.
KLAS reports Lewis died several days after the attack when he was taken off life support. The coroner determined his cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries.
Lewis' father, who is also named Jonathan Lewis, wrote on his son’s GoFundMe page, "We have been given a statement from our son’s girlfriend that what occurred was that one of his smaller friends had something stolen by this group of 15 and they threw the small boy in the trash can and our son confronted them and he was attacked by them. He's a courageous young man."
Jonathan Lewis the father said he and his family "denounce violence as a means to resolve sociological conflict, we believe community members can coexist peacefully, and we love our son and all children with all our hearts."
The Las Vegas Metro Police Department’s Homicide Unit is investigating.
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