Las Vegas teens charged with second-degree murder over classmate’s death

Four teenagers accused of beating classmate Jonathan Lewis Jr. to death during an attack in Las Vegas have been charged with second-degree murder.

Dontral Beaver, 16, Gianni Robinson, 17, Damien Hernandez, 17, and Treavion Randolph, 16, are all being tried as adults and appeared in front of a judge at Clark County District Court Tuesday where the charges were read.

District Attorney Steve Wolfson announced the four juveniles are also charged with felony conspiracy to commit battery with substantial bodily harm.

The alleged attackers were then transferred back to the juvenile detention center where they are being held without bail, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Four other students were also arrested in connection to Lewis’ on Nov. 7 death, which was captured in a now viral video.

The other four students, who are all under 16, will remain in the juvenile court system.

Lewis was brutally beaten near Rancho High School on Nov. 1 when he fought with an unnamed peer over a set of wireless headphones and possibly a vape pen. The items had allegedly been stolen from Lewis or one of his friends, Las Vegas Homicide Lt. Jason Johansson said during a press conference last week.

Lewis’ family previously said the 17-year old was defending a friend who was being bullied by the other students. Lewis died at a hospital on the same day as the attack from blunt force trauma.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and the FBI identified at least 10 suspects from the video. Authorities are still searching for two more teens and have asked for the public’s help to identify them by releasing images captured from the video.

On Tuesday, Wolfson announced another teen had been arrested in relation to the beating but did not provide additional information.

The four teens who appeared in court on Tuesday are facing second-degree murder charges because there were no signs of premeditation before the attack, the prosecutor said.

“I reviewed all of the evidence yesterday with my colleagues, with Metropolitan Police Department detectives, and we didn’t feel that there was that advanced premeditation,” Wolfson said.

The teens are scheduled to appear back in court on Dec. 14.

The victim’s father, Jonathan Lewis Snr., previously said his son had died defending one of his friends.

“I just love my children with all my heart, and it’s just unimaginable that we could ever come to this point,” Lewis’ father previously told 8 News Now.

After Tuesday’s hearing, Wolfson said it was a “sad” day for all families involved.

“That family was shattered, and all the other families and their lives have been shattered as well,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I believe there has to be consequences.”