Eight Las Vegas teens charged in brutal murder of high school student
Eight teenagers are facing murder charges in the recent violent death of a student near Rancho High School in Las Vegas, officials announced Tuesday.
The beating began on Nov. 1 after wireless headphones and possibly a vape pen were stolen, Las Vegas TV station KLAS reported. According to USA Today, a group of teenagers stole the items from a young child and threw them in the trash.
The victim, 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis Jr., decided to protect his little friend but was soon attacked.
In one video, the suspect can be seen repeatedly kicking, stomping and beating Lewis. According to DailyMail.com, he lost consciousness and suffered severe head injuries.
He died last Tuesday after being treated in the intensive care unit of University Medical Center. He was on life support for days before his death.
The Clark County Coroner's Office announced that Lewis died from multiple blunt force injuries. His death was ruled a homicide.
Suspect charged as an adult
The boys arrested were between 13 and 17 years old, and authorities have not yet named the suspect. Two other suspects are believed to be involved in the fatal beating but have not yet been arrested.
Under Nevada law, teenagers charged with murder can be tried in adult court. Teenagers aged 16 and 17 charged with murder will automatically be tried in adult court. Even children between the ages of 14 and 15 can be tried as adults rather than as juveniles. But a judge must order the case to be transferred.
All 10 suspects attended Rancho High School, according to authorities. Some teenagers recorded the beatings and shared them on social media. The suspect was arrested on Tuesday by the FBI or the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD).
Victims seen as heroes
"Jonathan was just trying to protect his friends. He was a hero," the victim's father, Jonathan Lewis Sr., told USA TODAY.
We all need to be held accountable for our decisions," the father said in a statement to KLAS. "We should be able to live peacefully and receive love in our communities... We actually see why The root cause of our children choosing violence at this age is the horror of ongoing resource conflicts and dependence on broken systems, and the fact that building our own, self-regulating wealth and health is also justly important to me as a father component. "
The victim's father organized a fundraiser on GoFundMe. As of Tuesday evening, $94,772 had been raised. The initial goal was $25,000.
The GoFundMe website describes young Lewis as an "aspiring artist" and a "loyal big brother." He especially likes hip-hop music.
The case has not yet been classified as a hate crime.
Warning: The video below depicts violence that may be disturbing to some viewers.
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Source: www.casino.org
