LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Teen murder arrests continue to trend upward in the Las Vegas Valley with six teenagers under 18 currently facing murder charges.
Channel 13 learned of a recent case in which social media played a role.
15-year-old Giovonnie Bradley was indicted by a Clark County grand jury earlier this month. Bradley is accused of shooting and killing another teenager in North Las Vegas last September.
Grand jury testimony reveals the teens were exchanging violent messages through Instagram with photos and videos of Bradley holding a firearm.
Last December, Channel 13 told you about an alarming uptick in teen violence in our valley. In 2023, 24 teenagers under 18 were arrested for murder, which was a 500% increase from 2022.
Channel 13 spoke with high school senior Angel Aguilera who believes social media is contributing to violent behavior.
"Trends on TikTok and Instagram, it really influences the younger teens," Aguilera said.
Aguilera said he spends about four hours a day on social media. According to the American Psychological Association, teens across the nation spend an average of five hours per day on social media.
Andre Barnes, the CEO of Nevada Forklift Training, said it's the adults who need to step up supervision.
Nevada Forklift Training also runs youth mentorship programs for aged out foster youth and at-risk teens.
"Social media shouldn't be raising our children; we should," Barnes said. "If you can help them make better choices, hopefully their life will be a little better down the road."
At Barnes' organization, he and other mentors teach the youth to integrate into society.
"If we can meet them where they are, build them up, help them and see past social media, they won't have to depend on that," Barnes said.
To learn more about Barnes' program, click HERE.
There are other youth mentorship programs across the Las Vegas Valley including
