Three teenagers charged with murder in connection to the deadly beating of a student near Rancho High School appeared in court for the first time on Friday. Dontral Beaver, 16, Gianni Robinson, 17, and Damien Hernandez, 17, made their initial appearance as adults in court. A fourth suspect, Treavion Randolph, 16, also appeared in court later that afternoon. The remaining four students, who were not publicly identified and are under the age of 16, will have a hearing next month to determine if they will be charged as adults.

The court appearance comes nearly two weeks after the tragic beating of Jonathan Lewis, 17, who succumbed to his injuries on November 7. Lewis was attacked by a mob of students near Rancho High School. A citizen found him unresponsive and brought him back to the school before he was taken to the hospital. Doctors at the University Medical Center found that Lewis had suffered non-survivable head trauma.

The fight that led to the fatal beating was reportedly over a pair of stolen wireless headphones and potentially a vape pen, which were taken from the victim's friends. All parties involved agreed to meet in an alley to confront each other. Lewis is said to have been targeted after defending a smaller friend who had been robbed by the mob.

Jonathan Lewis's father, also named Jonathan Lewis, expressed hope for forgiveness towards his son's attackers. He described his son as courageous and shared that Lewis had planned to move to Austin, Texas to be with him. The elder Lewis emphasized the need for addressing youth violence and promoting peaceful coexistence.

In the aftermath of the tragic incident, a video circulated on social media, showing a group of teens kicking the 17-year-old victim as he lay curled on the pavement. The video was described by Lieutenant Jason Johansson of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department as "void of humanity." Lewis's father expressed his inability to watch the clip.

Jonathan Lewis was an aspiring artist and a dedicated older brother. His family created a GoFundMe page titled "Heart of a Champion Our Son" to commemorate him and raise awareness about the issue of youth violence in Las Vegas. They described him as a loving, giving, kind, and fierce young man who cared deeply about his community.

The defendants are scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday, where Randolph's attorney expects him to plead not guilty. The court hearings will determine the course of justice for the tragic death of Jonathan Lewis and the charges brought against the teenagers involved.