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1 year ago
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Las Vegas officials have blasted local schools as out of control, after a 17-year-old student and aspiring artist was swarmed by a gang bullies and later died.
Jonathan Lewis, 17, died the day after a savage beatdown by about 15 other students outside Rancho High School, Las Vegas, on November 1. Police have launched a homicide investigation into his tragic death, but no arrests were made.
Officials in the school district have been warning about physical bullying for months - and Clark County school police have confiscated 20 guns and 52 knives so far this year.
John Vellardita, who is the executive director of the Clark County Education Association, warned lawmakers on March 23 that violence in schools had 'gotten out of hand.'
Vellardita said: 'The culture in these schools has gotten out of hand in terms of student behavior and what we have seen is an escalation of violence.'
Footage appears to show Jonathan (circled) throwing a punch before being swarmed by up to 15 youths who are seen hitting and kicking him repeatedly as he lies on the ground. His father told local media he was standing up for a smaller friend who had been robbed and thrown in a trash can
John Vellardita, who is the executive director of the Clark County Education Association, warned lawmakers on March 23 that violence in schools had 'gotten out of hand'
Jonathan Lewis, 17, died in the hospital days after he was attacked by a group of around 15 other teenagers
Assemblywoman Angie Taylor told KLAS following the situation in Las Vegas: 'We need to take care of the behavior issue. Find out why. What does that student need?
'How can we help, is it a family issue? Mental health, whatever. And at the same time, balance that with, how do you make sure the schools are safe. How do we deal with it when the students have the behavior issue? Support that student.'
Taylor helped get Assembly Bill 285 through - which is a bill tackling the issue of student discipline at Nevada schools. Despite the bill passing, violent incidents continue to occurr in educational establishments.
'If they need to be removed, because in some cases they do, how do we help that student get the support that they need? And how do we get them back in the education? How do we restore them with accountability.
'Hopefully when environments are supportive. When environments are safe. When environments are encouraging students and help to lift them up, that can help counteract some of the absenteeism.'
Footage circulated showing Jonathan throwing a punch before being swarmed by up to 15 youths who are seen hitting and kicking him repeatedly as he lies on the ground.
An extended version of the video showed one of his friends attempting to come to his aid - but he then receives blows to the back of the head.
Assemblywoman Angie Taylor helped get Assembly Bill 285 through - which is a bill tackling the issue of student discipline at Nevada schools. Despite the bill passing, violent incidents continue to occurr in educational establishments
Teens that had been standing around rushed to join in the fracas and pummel Lewis
Footage was also shot from an additional cellphone which has since been posted to X
All out chaos ensues as Lewis is beaten until he is unconscious
A separate melee breaks out away from where Jonathan is being mobbed and the boy who tried to intervene is punched to the ground. Up to five other teens surround him and start hitting him.
Jonathan's father told local media he was standing up for a smaller friend who had been robbed and thrown in a trash can.
Police are investigating but have not yet made any arrests, they told DailyMail.com on Monday.
The fight broke out on November 1 when the 17-year-old was bashed in broad daylight by the ferocious teens. Within seconds, the pack pounces on Jonathan Lewis and he is knocked to the ground.
So many boys get involved in the melee it is no longer possible to see Jonathan clearly, who by now is lying flat on the ground.
The fight continues for another 30 seconds as the group continues to punch and kick Lewis before members of the group then breakaway.
Other small fights also break out with punching between other teens continuing feet away from where Jonathan is now unconscious.
After Jonathan is knocked to the ground, one of his friends attempts to intervene and stop the brutal attack. He too is then seen being punched in the back of the head by another teen.
Jonathan Lewis, 17, died on Tuesday following the savage beatdown over the road from the Rancho High School. An extended version of the video emerged last night showing one of his friends (falling back, left, and standing on the right in the second image) trying to come to his aid before being chased away and punched to the ground
After Jonathan is knocked to the ground, one of his friends attempts to intervene and stop the brutal attack before making a run for it
The second teen, right, is then also seen having to face down two more assailants
He turns and runs after his attacker while another fight breaks out away from where Jonathan still lies on the ground.
The video shows the boy who tried to intervene is surrounded by a smaller group of between three or four teens. He is also floored by punches but manages to get back up.
Police officers found Jonathan at about 2pm that day, bleeding from the head.
Those standing nearby say paramedics performed chest compressions on the teenage before he was rushed to hospital.
The teen was put on life support at University Medical Center, where he died last Tuesday after doctors attempted to save his life.
He is said to have been targeted after standing-up for a smaller friend who'd just been robbed by the mob, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family.
'All I can do is hope there's a way that can find forgiveness in their heart and find a way to be able to come to terms with what they've done,' the boy's father, also named Jonathan Lewis, said of his son's attackers.
Lewis said his son usually kept to himself and had planned to move to Austin, Texas to be with his father. He was living with his mom in Las Vegas when he died.
The heartbroken father added: 'I think there's just a failure of all of humanity to recognize that we need to be teaching our youth how to coexist.
'A couple (of people) attacked him, and they weren't able to hurt him enough, and they all attacked him at once.
'He will always be so loved as his dad I'll forever hold him in my heart, shine even brighter, love even more and work all my life to bring peace into this world.
'Empathy and love are great strength and cowardly violence is pathetic. A true warrior would never cowardly beat one person just because the two or three members of the group couldn't beat the one warrior, a true warrior would let the others learn and grow.'
The teenager said to be an aspiring artist and devoted older brother.
'Although our hearts are broken and this tragedy is absolutely absurd madness, we want to focus on the legacy of our son,' Lewis added.
'Jonathan was a loving, giving, kind, fierce young man who loved community and caring for others.'
English (US)