(LibertySons.org) – On November 1, 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis Jr. and a friend decided to confront an individual who had reportedly taken wireless headphones and a marijuana vape pen from the smaller kid and stuffed him into a trash can. After school, the two friends confronted the perpetrator in an alley near Rancho High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. An initial exchange of punches between two individuals cascaded into a mob attack when up to 15 teens swarmed Lewis and brutally beat him, resulting in his death.
Police say they were responding to a call about a fight in an alley near the school when they found Lewis. First responders took the severely injured teen to University Medical Center, where doctors placed him on life support. Medical personnel declared Lewis brain dead on November 7, and he died the following day. On November 13, the coroner performed an autopsy, revealing homicidal blunt-force trauma as the cause of death.
Las Vegas police began investigating immediately after finding Lewis in the alley because of the extreme ruthlessness of the attack. Social media postings showing the brutal beating have aided the investigation and helped detectives identify assailants. On November 14, police revealed the department had arrested eight teens ranging in age from 13 to 17 and charged them with his murder.
Detectives are still seeking two more individuals who’ve eluded arrest. In response to critics, authorities stated they have no evidence that the beating was a hate crime or racially motivated. However, Homicide Lt. Jason Johansson pointed out that the investigation was ongoing, and the department was continuing to seek assailants with the community’s assistance.
The teen’s father, Jonathan Lewis Sr., works with troubled youths and has called for community action. He started “Team Jonathan,” a foundation dedicated to stopping school bullying and promoting empathy, healing, and conflict resolution.
The family also started a GoFundMe account in Lewis Jr.’s name. As of the evening of November 14, donations had exceeded the $25,000 fundraising goal by almost 300%. Lewis Sr. indicated he and his son’s mother would split the funds.
~Here’s to Our Liberty!
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