A violent encounter involving a group of about 10 students outside Rancho High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, led to the death of 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis.
Jonathan, a student and aspiring artist at Rancho High, passed away after enduring a severe attack, succumbing to his injuries six days later in the hospital.
The fight occurred on November 1, 2023, when Jonathan valiantly intervened to protect a smaller classmate from being bullied and robbed by the group.
Witnesses and video recordings show Jonathan standing up to the bullies. The footage depicts Jonathan throwing a punch at an attacker before being brutally assaulted by the mob, receiving numerous punches and kicks, including to his head, while on the ground unconscious.
Jonathan was discovered with critical head injuries and immediately taken to a hospital. Despite extensive medical treatment, he did not survive his injuries. His father, overcome with grief, expressed his deep sorrow and frustration at the tragic violence, hoping that this loss might bring awareness to the issue of youth violence.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department announced that eight students from Rancho High have been arrested and will be charged with murder. They range in age from 13-17; four of the students who are 16 and 17 will be tried as adults. The others will be seen in family court and could possibly be tried as adults, depending on a judge’s ruling. Police are also looking for two other students and would like the public’s help to identify them.
Remembered by friends and family, Jonathan Lewis is mourned as a compassionate and loving individual whose bright future was tragically cut short.
