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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Eight high school students in Las Vegas have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the fatal beating of a classmate, police announced on Tuesday.
Jonathan Lewis Jr. sustained "non-survivable head trauma" after being beaten by a group of people in an alley near Rancho High School on November 1, Las Vegas homicide Lieutenant Jason Johansson said during a news conference.
The 17-year-old died of his injuries on November 7, his father told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The coroner's office in Las Vegas ruled his death a homicide.
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Johansson said the local FBI office assisted with the arrests of the eight students, who are between the ages of 13 and 17.
He said investigators were still working to identify two additional students believed to have participated in the fight. They will also face murder charges, he said. He did not identify the students due to their age.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has been contacted for further comment via email.
Investigators learned that the fight had been prearranged after a pair of wireless headphones and possibly a vape pen were stolen from Lewis' friend, Johansson said.
He said it is believed that Lewis was not supposed to be involved in the fight but accompanied his friend to the alleyway where the fight was arranged to take place after classes ended for the day.
In the alley, Lewis engaged "initially with one subject, and the minute the punch is thrown with that person, 10 subjects immediately swarm him, put him into the ground and begin kicking and stomping on him," he said.
Johansson said a "citizen" had found Lewis unconscious in the alleyway and carried him back to the school campus, where staff called 911.
Lewis' father, Jonathan Lewis Sr., told the Review-Journal that his son had been attacked while standing up "for one of his smaller friends."
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On a GoFundMe page, Lewis' father wrote that his son's girlfriend told him "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 by them."
On the page, Jonathan Lewis Sr. described his son as "a kind, loving, gentle young man" with the "heart of a champion and the brightest loving energy." He has been contacted for comment via GoFundMe.
At Tuesday's news conference, Undersheriff Andrew Walsh also addressed "extremely disturbing" footage of the fight that has circulated on social media.
"If you or your child or somebody you know has seen that video and recognizes anybody that may have been a participant in this senseless crime, you need to get a hold of us and our homicide section," he said.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Section by phone at 702-828-3521 or by email at homicide@lvmpd.com. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555 or at www.crimestoppersofnv.com.
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