A tragic incident unfolded in Las Vegas when a teenager lost his life after defending a friend from a group of bullies. The 17-year-old, Jonathan Lewis, a student at Rancho High School, succumbed to his injuries last Tuesday, following a brutal attack by a mob of 15 teenagers, according to his father, who shares the same name.
The incident began when a smaller friend of Lewis had an item stolen by the group, who then proceeded to throw the boy into a trash can. Lewis intervened, confronting the group, which led to his attack, as detailed on a GoFundMe page established by his family.
A video captured on November 1, near Lewis’ high school, shows the teenager standing up to one of the alleged bullies and throwing a punch. The group then swarmed Lewis, hitting and kicking him repeatedly in the head while he lay defenseless on the ground.
A second video reveals a friend of Lewis rushing to his aid, attempting to pull away the attackers. The friend, whose identity remains undisclosed, received a severe blow to the back of his head, forcing him to retreat for his safety. The attackers then pursued Lewis’ friend, punching him until he fell. The video ends with up to five of the attackers surrounding the friend, delivering a series of harsh kicks and punches.
Following the assault, police found Lewis bleeding from the head. Paramedics performed chest compressions before rushing him to the hospital. Lewis was placed on life support at University Medical Center, where he passed away last Tuesday.
Lewis’ father, who resides in Texas, kept his son on life support for several days, hoping for a recovery. He described his son as a courageous young man who mostly kept to himself and had plans to move to Austin to live with him before the tragic incident. The grieving father hopes this incident sparks a conversation about youth violence in the city.
The family was informed by investigators that several students are expected to be charged with murder in connection with Jonathan’s death. The Las Vegas Metro Police Department’s homicide unit is investigating the incident, but no arrests have been made yet.