Beating of a Teenager Boy

I’m appalled by the incident that occurred in 2023. The tragic beating death of a 17-year-old high school student in Las Vegas by 10 of his classmates, aged between 13 and 17, is deeply disturbing. According to police homicide Lt. Jason Johansson, the victim was not intended to be part of the brawl, originally planned to take place after school hours at Rancho High School in eastern Las Vegas. The fatal beating on Nov. 1 was filmed on a cellphone and widely circulated on social media. It is profoundly distressing that such violence could take place within a school community, and the widespread sharing of the video is disheartening. This tragic event calls for a comprehensive review of the factors contributing to such behavior and a concerted effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The fight broke out after school let out that day. Police said they believe a pair of wireless headphones and a vape pen had been stolen from the victim’s friend earlier in the week, which resulted in the students agreeing to meet in the alleyway to fight. Detectives think that the victim wasn’t originally supposed to be involved in the brawl, but he walked to the alleyway with his friend after school, Johansson said.

The video shows the victim taking off his shirt to prepare for the fight, and then, 10 students “immediately swarm him, pull him to the ground, and begin kicking, punching, and stomping on him,” Johansson said. He called the video “very void of humanity” and said the victim was not defending himself, as he was being attacked. I mean, how could he, being punched, kicked repeatedly by 10 people?? This was supposed to be a 1 on 1 fight, but it seems that a gang mentality instinct kicked in…

After the brawl, a person in the area found the victim badly beaten and unconscious. The person carried him back to campus, where school staff called 911, Johansson said. Homicide detectives were called to lead the investigation because of the severity of the victim’s injuries.

What is happening at the school now?

Rancho High School’s principal, Darlin Delgado, said in a letter to parents this week that support and resources were available for students and staff members, as the beating “has and will continue to impact our school community.”

On Wednesday, there was a police presence at the school and around the campus as classes ended for the day, with marked school district police vehicles and uniformed officers patrolling the area. The district’s police chief, Mike Blackeye, said his agency has been partnering with police in Las Vegas and neighboring North Las Vegas to provide increased police coverage at the school in the morning, lunchtime, and after school, which is when he said fights typically break out. I mean come on, if they need police to patrol a school because “Fights typically break out” in the area, something should have been done before a kid lost his life.

Chinua Leefatt, 15, Jordan Thompson, 16, Caleb Hensley, 17, and Sylvester Hicks Jr., 16, are all in custody and have had their mugshots released. Jahmeer Beautziel, 17, has not yet been arrested. All of the charged attackers attend the school – the site of one of America’s worst mass shootings – except for Leefatt, who attends Coral Glades High School.

Video of the shocking fight shows a teen boy carrying the victim over his shoulder before he slams him head-first onto the concrete, fracturing his skull and rendering him unconscious. That’s no fight, that’s trying to cause someone serious bodily harm. A friend of the victim said 15 people had been chasing him before the vicious attack, which occurred as he was walking towards the school parking lot. 15 people chasing a single kid, for crying out loud… The video sees at least two attackers continuing to punch the victim after he was smashed into the ground because, you know, he was already unconscious and it wasn’t enough.

Detectives with Coral Springs police made arrests overnight on Thursday, with all four being taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center. The suspects have all been charged with one count of felony battery, which police said reflects “the serious nature of their actions. ‘Our detectives have worked tirelessly around the clock, along with our law enforcement partners to include the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, to swiftly identify and apprehend the individuals involved.’

Several other teen boys then approach the unnamed student and appear to try to help him, but he remained unresponsive. Witnesses said link that one teen pulled a knife out during the altercation. Patrick Fox, a friend of the victim, said: ‘I was there when they started chasing him, but when I left, he was in an ambulance leaving, so I heard that he got a fracture to his skull or something.’

The student who was attacked was hospitalized following the assault, recovering at home a couple of days later, but sadly, died of his injuries a week after the beating.

I don’t understand what goes on in a teenager’s mind to act like such an animal and injure another kid to the point of beating them to death. Taking someone’s life because of a pair of headphones and a vape pen? I never, ever thought of doing something like this when I was a kid. Something like this was unheard of back when I was going to school. This is absolutely disgusting that something like this was allowed to happen. It makes me angry; we only have one life after all, and we should all be thankful for it and treat each other better. It’s nonsense to beat someone to death over a pair of stupid headphones and a vape pen. This poor teenager lost his life, and now there is a devastated family with a child who lost his life in a horrible manner. May he rest in peace.