Horrific moment boy is punched to the ground after trying to save friend Jonathan Lewis, 17, who was 'beaten to death' by a pack of bullies in Las Vegas trying to defend another student

New footage has emerged of the moment a boy was punched to the ground after trying to save Jonathan Lewis as he was 'beaten to death' by bullies in Las Vegas.

Jonathan, 17, died on Tuesday following the savage beatdown over the road from the Rancho High School on November 1.

Footage appears to show 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 emerged last night which appears to show one of his friends attempting to come to his aid - but he then receives blows to the back of the head.

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.

It comes as public outcry simmered last night as footage of the attack on Jonathan went viral. 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. The Clark County coroner's office, which is in charge of identifying the boy, was closed for Veterans Day.

The fight broke out on November 1 when the 17-year-old was bashed in broad daylight by the ferocious teens. 

The new footage appears to provide sharper images as to what was happening as Jonathan was beaten to a pulp and appears to show him throwing a punch.

Within seconds, the pack pounces on him 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. 

He turns and runs after his attacker while another melee 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 in vain 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.

The teen was living with his mother in Las Vegas at the time of his death. 

'Violence just begets more violence and these children don't even know what they're doing half the time,' Lewis said to 8NewsNow.

In the aftermath of the teen's death, video circulated on social media showing the moment the fight broke out.

Lewis claimed that his son was standing up for a 'smaller friend' who had something stolen by the group and was then thrown in a trash can.

He described his son 'courageous' and said he wished to donate his organs to save others.

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,' the heartbroken dad stated. 

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police have now launched a homicide investigation. 

So far, no arrests have been made. Lewis said the family was told by investigators that they plan to charge several students involved with murder.

The father said, 'We're all just trying to process this. The whole family is in shock.'

Lewis created a GoFundMe page titled 'Heart of a Champion Our Son' onto which he posted a photo of him holding his son's hand in the hospital shortly before he died.

'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,' Lewis wrote.

'Empathy and love are great strength and cowardly violence is pathetic,' the dad added. '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.'