Eight high school students from Nevada have been arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on charges of murder in connection with the death of 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis Jr. According to the New York Times, the incident occurred during an after-school fight earlier this month, during which Lewis was beaten unconscious. Tragically, he succumbed to his injuries a few days after the November 1 attack.
During a news conference held on Tuesday, Lt. Jason Johansson of the Police Department revealed that the altercation is believed to have stemmed from a dispute over a pair of stolen headphones. Lt. Johansson stated that the students had planned to meet in a back alley, located less than 300 feet from the school campus, after classes that day.
Following an investigation, the police were able to identify and apprehend eight students from Rancho High School in connection with the fight, according to Lt. Johansson. He also mentioned that the ages of the arrested individuals range from 13 to 17. The Police Department is actively working to determine the identities of two other individuals who may have been involved in the altercation.
The identities of the eight arrested students have not been made public, but they have been detained and booked into Clark County Juvenile Hall. It is currently unknown whether they have legal representation.
According to Lt. Johansson, the police suspect that the stolen headphones, and possibly a vape pen, were taken from one of Jonathan’s friends. Once Jonathan became involved in the altercation, “Ten subjects immediately swarm him, put him to the ground, and begin kicking, punching, and stomping him,” said Lt. Johansson. Jonathan was not able to defend himself and endured the assault until he became unconscious.
Videos of the fight have surfaced on social media, showing multiple individuals exchanging blows. Undersheriff Andrew Walsh described the videos as “extremely disturbing,” and Lt. Johansson called the footage “very graphic” and “void of humanity.”
After the fight, Jonathan was found “unconscious and unresponsive” in the alley and was transported to Rancho High School by an individual. He was then taken to a hospital, where it was quickly determined that he had suffered “nonsurvivable head trauma.”
Six days after the incident, Jonathan’s family announced that he had been declared mentally brain-dead. They made the decision to donate his organs. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.
The investigation into this tragic incident is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
