LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Calls have been growing for eight teenagers to be tried as adults after they were charged with murder in the “senseless beating” of 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis Jr.
The suspects between the ages of 13 and 17 years were taken into custody and booked in juvenile hall after the graphic video of the brutal beating went viral a few days ago, according to the Las Vegas Metro Police Department.
The bullies attacked Lewis near Rancho High School on November 1 when he tried to stand up for a "smaller friend" who had been robbed by the gang, as per Daily Mail.
Lt Jason Johansson of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said a citizen found Lewis unresponsive and brought him back to the school.
Later, the teenager was brought to UMC, where doctors discovered that he had sustained “non-survivable head trauma,” Fox 5 Vegas reported.
He was placed on life support at the Centre but tragically succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, November 7, following many attempts by medical professionals to save his life.
Why was Jonathan Lewis targeted by the suspects?
Lt Johansson revealed that the initial fight sparked after a pair of wireless headphones and possibly a vape pen were stolen from Lewis’ friends. All parties involved then agreed to meet in the alley to fight.
Lewis' father, Jonathan Lewis Sr who resides in Austin, Texas, said that his son was singled out in the altercation when he rushed to help a fellow student who was being picked on by the bullies.
He said Jonathan was initially attacked by a few students who the 17-year-old shook off 'because he was so strong.'
"But then all the other kids joined in and beat him to death after that," he added to NewsNation.
Johansson claimed that after a video of the fight went viral, the department was able to identify approximately ten suspects, who were involved in the murder, and eight of those have been 'positively identified' as suspects.
He continued by noting that the process is underway to charge eight teenagers as adults. The department is soon going to release images of two people who they believe were involved in the beating but have not yet been positively identified.
Johansson urged anybody else who had footage of the incident to come forward.
"There's a high likelihood that there's additional video out there that we don't have," he said advising parents to discuss what occurred with their children rather than "bury their heads in the sand."
Internet reacts to arrest of eight suspects in Jonathan Lewis’ death
After the news of the arrest of eight suspects in Lewis’ death surfaced on the internet, several users called for the prosecution of the teenagers as adults.
“They need to be tried as adults. This should not be happening at our schools,” one user said. “They need to be charged as adults and life in prison!!” the second user wrote.
“Good. Now get the rest. No plea bargains either,” the third user stated. “There needs to be more arrests. Every scumbag involved needs to be held accountable and the disgusting people standing around recording it need to be punished as well,” the fourth user asserted.
“Im glad there were arrests made in that that was horrific to watch. Let's. Hope those responsible face the full weight of the justice system,” the fifth user said.
“They don’t need to die in prison. That’s a lot of unnecessary taxpayer expense,” one more wrote.
