Horrifying moment boy is knocked to the ground after trying to save friend Jonathan Lewis, 17, who was ‘beaten to death’ by mob of thugs in Las Vegas who tried to defend another student

• Jonathan Lewis, 17, died Tuesday after the violent attack across the road from Rancho High School
• An extended section of the video emerged last night showing one of his friends trying to come to his aid – but he is then hit in the back of the head
• A separate melee breaks out away from where Jonathan is being bullied and the boy who tried to intervene is knocked to the ground

New footage has emerged of the moment a boy was knocked to the ground after trying to save Jonathan Lewis as he was ‘beaten to death’ by thugs in Las Vegas.

Jonathan, 17, died Tuesday after the violent attack across the road from Rancho High School on Nov. 1.

Footage appears to show Jonathan throwing a punch before being swarmed by up to 15 youths who are seen punching 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 trying to come to his aid – but he is then hit in the back of the head.

A separate melee breaks out away from where Jonathan is being bullied, and the boy who tried to intervene is knocked to the ground. Up to five other teenagers surround him and start beating him.

It comes as public outcry simmered last night as footage of the attack on Jonathan went viral. Jonathan’s father told local media that he was standing up for a smaller friend who had been robbed and thrown in a bin.

Police are investigating but have yet to make any arrests. The Clark County coroner’s office, which is responsible for identifying the boy, was closed for Veterans Day.

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

The new footage appears to provide sharper images of what happened when Jonathan was beaten in the pool and appears to show him throwing a punch.

Within seconds the pack rushes at him and he is knocked to the ground.

So many boys become involved in the melee that it is no longer possible to see Jonathan clearly, who is now 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 break out.

Other small fights also break out with punches between other teenagers continuing feet away from where Jonathan is now unconscious.

After Jonathan is knocked to the ground, one of his friends tries to intervene and stop the brutal attack.

He too is then seen being punched in the back of the head by another teenager.

He turns and runs after his attacker as another melee breaks out from where Jonathan is still on the ground.

The video shows that the boy who tried to intervene is surrounded by a small group of between three or four teenagers. He is also hit by blows, but manages to get back up.

Police officers found Jonathan around 2pm that day, bleeding from the head.

Bystanders say paramedics performed chest compressions on the teenager before he was taken to hospital.

The teenager was put on life support at University Medical Center, where he died last Tuesday after doctors tried unsuccessfully to save his life.

He is said to have been targeted after standing up for a smaller friend who had 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 they can find forgiveness in their heart and find a way to come to terms with what they’ve done,” the boy’s father, also called Jonathan Lewis, said of his son’s attackers. .

Lewis said his son normally kept to himself and had planned to move to Austin, Texas to be with his father.

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

“Violence just begets more violence and these kids don’t even know what they’re doing half the time,” Lewis told 8NewsNow.

In the wake of the teenager’s death, video circulating on social media showing the moment the fight broke out.

Lewis claimed his son stood up for a ‘lesser friend’ who had something stolen from the group and then thrown in a bin.

He described his son as ‘brave’ and said he wanted to donate his organs to save others.

The heartbroken dad added: ‘I think all of humanity has failed to recognize that we need to teach our young how to co-exist.

“A couple (of people) attacked him and they weren’t able to hurt him enough and they all attacked him at once,” said the heartbroken father.

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 set up a GoFundMe page titled ‘Heart of a Champion Our Son’ on which he posted a photo of him holding his son’s hand in hospital shortly before he died.

“He will always be so loved as his father that I will 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 is great strength, and cowardly violence is pathetic,” added the father. ‘A true warrior would never cowardly beat one person just because the two or three members of the group couldn’t beat one warrior, a true warrior would let the others learn and grow.’

The teenager is said to be an aspiring artist and devoted big brother.

“While 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, tough young man who loved community and caring for others.’