The Police Department is actively investigating numerous attacks made over the past few months. The suspects: The Gilbert Goons. After the tragic death of Preston Lord on October 28, citizens realized that multiple other crimes are connected to these ‘Goons’.

The Goons are described by azcentral.com as a “…gang of 20 or more — mostly white, upper-middle-class teenagers from multiple southeast Valley high schools”. The Goons tend to strike at high school parties, fast food parking lots, and parks. The gang threatens victims in order to keep them quiet, which is why these attacks have been ongoing for over a year.

“[Jacob] Pennington allegedly beat a 16-year-old high school student in the face and yelled racial slurs during an assault in a desert area in San Tan Valley, Arizona, on November 18, 2023”, reported dailymail.com. Many members of the street gang are over the age of 18, which means they are capable of facing real charges. Christopher Fantastic, Aris Arredondo, and two minors were accused of assaulting a teenager outside of an In-N-Out in 2023. However, “After the fatal beating of Lord was detailed by the Arizona Republic last December, authorities reopened multiple cases believed to have been conducted by a larger group of assailants”, stated dailymail.com. The ‘assailants’ are most likely the Goons.

Preston Lord was brutally beaten up by members of the gang at a Halloween party in October and sadly passed away in the hospital. The death of Lord opened up the authorities’ eyes, for they claim they had no idea of the gang’s existence before. According to azcentral.com, “On Nov. 14, Queen Creek police said they had identified multiple persons of interest in Lord’s homicide investigation, but still had not made any arrests”. 

Many parents refuse to let their children become involved in the case. Police are struggling to make any arrests because teens with information are withholding evidence. “…some parents have actively refused to let their children participate in the investigation. We need people to come forward and stand up for Preston”, said Police Chief Brice.

In short, a bunch of assault cases have been reopened due to the suspicion that the ‘Gilbert Goons’ have something to do with it. In the meantime, officials are reviewing potential charges.