LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — There were 24 Las Vegas teenagers arrested for murder in 2023. That's according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
In 2021, that number was 10. In 2022, it was 4.
It's a 500 percent increase in teen murder arrests from last year. This is despite overall homicide rates down about 9 percent.
So what's going on? Many suggest social media is a contributing factor to the uptick in teen violence, not just in Las Vegas but nationwide.
On Tenaya Way near Centennial Parkway in the northwest valley, a ghost bike sits at the corner memorializing 64-year-old retired Bell, California police chief Andy Probst.
In August, Probst was cycling in a designated bike lane when he was hit from behind by a car and killed.
Messages of remembrance and honor fill the ghost bike.
"He was just truly an upstanding man," said daughter Taylor Probst. "He is the reason I am the person I am today."
Shortly after the hit-and-run, a video recording of Probst's death surfaced on the internet, going viral on social media.
Metro police announced Probst's death was part of a recorded crime spree. Two teenagers, 18-year-old Jesus Ayala (17 at the time of the crime) and 16-year-old Jzamir Keys, were arrested and charged.
MORE: Indictment lays out crime spree of teens accused in cyclist's murder
"If you're going to commit a crime, don't fu***** film it," said Taylor. "Let alone don't send it out there."
When Taylor found out about the video, she broke down.
"What's going on? How can I stop this? How can I process the world seeing one of the most traumatic moments of my family's lives? My life, really, too," said Taylor.
A few months later, another video surfaced on social media. This time, a vicious beating caught on camera of a Rancho High School student.
Metro Police said a group of teenagers beat and killed their classmate, 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis. At a vigil in November, Lewis' father, Jonathan Lewis Sr., expressed outrage.
"It's just unimaginable that you could ever have such little honor and such cowardly behavior that you would beat somebody to death when you're in a huge group," said Lewis Sr.
Police have arrested nine people in connection to Lewis' death.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said social media is playing a role in driving teen violence.
"Whether it's bullying, harassment, whether it's a violent crime, whether it's the actual perpetrator who's filming it or observers," said Wolfson. "Yes, we're seeing an increase in cases involving social media."
Wolfson said social media has changed the criminal justice landscape.
"Ten, 15, 20 years ago, social media almost didn't exist," said Wolfson. "The fact that everybody has a smartphone, including most of our teenagers, it's a different world now."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, homicide rates for people ages 15 through 19 have increased 91 percent from 2014 to 2021.
Alec McGillis, a reporter for ProPublica, studied social media apps and authored "How Social Media Apps Could be Fueling Violence Among Young Americans" earlier this year.
"There's just a whole lot of cases that I found around the country where it was playing a role, where you had social media instigation that gave rise to deadly violence," said McGillis.
Rancho High School teacher and Nevada State Assemblyman Reuben D'Silva said he's seen an uptick in teen violence both in and out of the classroom, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"There was this real forced sort of alienation, where you must be at home," said D'Silva.
D'Silva said more time spent alone meant more time online, a place D'Silva described as a breeding ground for young juvenile offenders.
"They want to get 'clout' and social media virality," said D'Silva.
So what needs to happen?
Lorena Biasotti, mother of four and vice chair of Clark County Moms for Liberty, said change begins in the household.
"This is a wake-up call to all parents across Clark County," said Biasotti. "We have to shift the amount of influence our children are getting. When children get more influence from social media than their parents, that's a huge problem."
The tragic reality of it all, according to Taylor Probst, is not just the loss of life but the loss of empathy recorded for all to see.
"The fact that they're sitting there, sending it out to their peers, not only traumatizing them but desensitizing them to stuff like that," said Probst. "It's just going to cause a cycle of 'Hey, this isn't going to hurt anybody.'"
