A teen has died after being attacked by a mob of 15 people near his Las Vegas high school.
Jonathan Lewis, 17, was severely beaten in the Nov. 1 attack for coming to the defense of a "smaller" friend who had been thrown into a trash can across from Rancho High School, according to the victim's father.
Lewis was rushed to the hospital where he remained on life support until succumbing to his injuries on Tuesday.
"One of his smaller friends had something stolen by this group of 15, and they threw the small boy in the trash can, and our son confronted them and he was attacked," Jonathan Lewis senior wrote on a GoFundMe page set up by the family.
The Las Vegas Metro Police Department's homicide unit is investigating the incident; however, no arrests have been made.
Although Lewis was white and members of the attacking mob appeared to be Black, according to a video of the incident, authorities have not indicated that race was a factor in the killing, Newsweek reported.
The victim's father told CBS 8 News Now that the family was told by investigators they plan to charge several students involved in that fight with murder.
Video appears to show the younger Lewis 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, DailyMail.com reported.
An extended version of the video appears to show one of Lewis' friends attempting to come to his aid before also receiving blows to the back of the head.
Police officers found Lewis at about 2 p.m. that day, bleeding from the head. Nearby witnesses said paramedics performed chest compressions on the teenager before he was rushed to hospital.
"Violence just begets more violence and these children don't even know what they're doing half the time," the victim's father told CBS 8 News Now.
"I hope there's a way they can find forgiveness in their heart and find a way to be able to come to terms with what they've done."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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