A Las Vegas teenager was allegedly "beaten to death" by a group of bullies near a high school after he tried to protect his friend who was robbed.
The incident occurred on Nov. 1 near Rancho High School and the victim was identified as 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis. He was reportedly beaten by a group of 15 other youths who targeted him after he stood up for his friend.
Las Vegas Teen Beaten to Death by Bullies
Law enforcement personnel discovered Lewis at around 2:05 p.m. that day as he was bleeding from his head. He was immediately put on life support at University Medical Center but he died on Tuesday after doctors made several attempts to save his life.
In a statement, the victim's father, who is also named Jonathan Lewis, said that all he can hope for is that there is a way for the people who beat his son to death to find forgiveness in their hearts and find a way to be able to come to terms with what they have done, as per the Daily Mail.
The father said during an interview that his son usually kept to himself and was planning to move to Austin, Texas, to be with him. The deceased was living with his mother at the time of his death.
Lewis noted that violence would only result in more violence and that the youths who are responsible for the death of his son do not even know what they are doing half of the time. Video footage circulated on social media following the teen's death that showed the moment a fight broke out.
It showed a group of about a dozen youths kicking the 17-year-old while he was lying curled up on the pavement. There were also at least two teens who stood nearby while filming the attack using their mobile devices.
The father of the victim later said that investigators plan to charge several students who were involved in the fight with murder. The Las Vegas Metro Police Department's homicide unit is responsible for investigating the case but no arrests have been made yet, according to Fox News.
A Courageous Individual
Lewis described his son as a "courageous" individual and said that he wants to donate his organs to save other people who are in need.
The father of the victim also described his son as a "loving, giving, kind, fierce young man who loved community and caring for others." He said that the horrific tragedy underscores the divisive, conflict-based, and uncaring state that society and humanity are currently facing with how people interact with their community.
He added that empathy and love are great strengths and cowardly violence is pathetic. The father added that his son was an aspiring artist who was interested in drawing, photography, and painting. He noted that he was also considering joining the military like his grandfather who previously served in the U.S. Navy.
The GoFundMe page for the teen had received more than $11,000 in donations as it sought to raise $20,000, said the Review Journal.
