8 Teens Arrested In Connection With Fatal Beating of Boy, 17, Outside of Las Vegas High School

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the cause of death for the teen, identified as Jonathan Lewis Jr., 17, was blunt force trauma

Eight teenagers have been arrested on murder charges in connection with the fatal beating of a 17-year-old teen who died earlier this month.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) announced in a press conference that they have arrested eight people between the ages of 13-17 for the alleged murder of Jonathan Lewis Jr. after videos circulated on social media of Lewis getting beat up by several teens.

“Our victim removes his clothing, engages in a fight initially with one subject and the minute the punch is thrown at that person, ten subjects immediately swarm him…,” Lt. Jason Johansson with the LVMPD’s homicide section explained.

“What you see in the video though is approximately ten subjects kicking, stomping and punching our victim Jonathan as he’s on the ground, not defending himself until the point where he becomes unconscious,” Johansson added.

He noted that the incident, which happened on Nov. 1, occurred in an alleyway east of the Rancho High School and that all the witnesses, suspects and attendees of the brawl involved were students from that school. He also noted that the fight was "over a pair of stolen wireless headphones and “possibly” over a marijuana vape pen which was stolen from Lewis or his friends.

Johansson said a citizen nearby saw Lewis on the ground and carried him back to Rancho High School, where 911 was called. The teen was transported to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada where investigators determined that he “had sustained non-survival, head trauma.”

On Nov. 7, the LVMPD were told that Lewis was medically declared brain dead, and on Monday an autopsy on his body revealed that his cause of death was blunt force trauma and his death was ruled a homicide.

Johansson said they worked with Clark County School District Police Department and Rancho High School administrators to identify those in the fight on video. They then executed nine search warrants on Tuesday morning at various residences throughout the Las Vegas Valley where they were able to obtain various clothing that Lewis and his friends wore during the attack.

The lieutenant added that eight teens were all booked into the Clark County Juvenile Hall on charges of murder and that their case has now been turned over to the Clark County District Attorney’s office, going through the normal steps for them to be certified and tried as an adult.

“It is far from over,” Johansson explained. “We’ve identified eight of the ten we believe are responsible for the murder, but through our PIO office, we will be pushing out additional pictures of two individuals that we have yet to identify that participated in the incident. [We are] requesting assistance from the community identifying them.”

LVMPD Undersheriff Andrew Walsh added, “This should be a reminder for all of us to have those difficult conversations with our children and remind them that their actions have consequences. Their actions have lasting consequences. Their actions have life-altering consequences.”

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Lewis' father Jonathan Lewis Sr., opened a GoFundMe — which has collected over $102,000 as of Wednesday — and remembered his son as "a kind, loving, gentle young man who has the heart of a champion and the brightest loving energy that attracts people to him with love."

"He's an aspiring artist, devoted big brother and a fierce protector of love [sic] ones," his dad wrote before Lewis' death. "We are so grateful for all the love and community support that has poured in for our son and hope that the world will focus on all that love and compassion as a beacon of hope for human relations and place recognition upon how much stronger the love and the spirit of community is than the dark moments of violence."

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