Hero teen beaten to death in 'organised brawl for headphones and vape' as 8 held

15 November 2023 , 14:31

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Hero teen beaten to death in 'organised brawl for headphones and vape' as 8 held

Police this week arrested eight teens in connection to the death of Jonathan Lewis Jr., the 17-year-old who was beaten to death by a group of his peers over stolen wireless headphones and a cannabis vape pen.

The severe altercation happened earlier this month when a group of 15 teens repeatedly stomped and attacked Jonathan near Rancho High School in Las Vegas. Shocking footage captured the group attack. Earlier this week, the Clark County Coroner's office said the victim died from complications of multiple blunt force injuries.

Authorities said there are eight suspects in custody who are expected to face murder charges. All are aged between 13 and 17 , so they were booked into Clark County Juvenile Hall. The LVMPD said it was still trying to identify two additional juveniles involved in the fight. It plans to release photos at a later time.

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Police said the altercation was over stolen wireless headphones and a weed vape pen (GoFundMe)

Jonathan Lewis Jr. was pronounced in the hospital on November 7 (GoFundMe)

The initial 911 calls came in after a passerby found Jonathan unconscious and delivered him over to Rancho High, where school district staff administered emergency aid until medical services arrived. Officers responding to calls of a student scuffle performed CPR on Jonathan who still "appeared to be unconscious."

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LVMPD officials released information the following day explaining the student was transported by medical professionals to University Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition until his death last week, according to KTNV.

Jonathan Lewis Sr. said he couldn't watch the video of his son getting hurt (FOX5 Las Vegas/Youtube)

One of the perpetrators recorded the assault and uploaded the scene to social media. Police said they are actively investigating. Clark County School District officials said they are assisting with the investigation and condemned any violence against their students. This week, the school district said in a statement:

"All of CCSD grieves the loss of every student. While we can not provide additional information, as this is an active police investigation, please know that District leadership and School Police are working with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the District Attorney's office so those involved are held accountable for their actions.

The LVMPD said its actively trying to identify two suspects involved (WallStreetSilv/Twitter)

LVMPD is the lead investigative agency. CCSD does not tolerate violence or threats to students or their safety. We all must come together as a community to address the needs of our students so disagreements are resolved through dialogue rather than violence."

The victim's father, Jonathan Lewis Sr. released a statement last week on the day his son was pronounced dead. "Today at 11:26 a.m., my son was pronounced dead," he lamented. "He will always be so loved. As his dad, I'll forever hold him in my heart, shine even brighter, love even more, and work all my life to bring peace into this world."

Jonathan Lewis was trying to protect another smaller student (WallStreetSilv/Twitter)

Jonathan Sr. had a turbulent week following his son's death. The father waited about two weeks for police to name suspects despite the video of the scuffle going viral. Additionally, the county coroner hadn't provided any updates in the case until this week.

Mataeo Smith