Teen violence: What to know as Arizona communities deal with increase in crimes targeting young people

PHOENIX - For months, various communities in Arizona have been dealing with violent incidents involving teens, with at least one incident in the Far East Valley turning deadly.

Police are continuing to investigate the incidents as several arrests have been made so far, but the search for more suspects remain ongoing.

Here's what you should know about the incidents, and what authorities are doing about the slew of crimes.

What happened?

The controversy over teen violence began to mount following an incident that led to the death of Preston Lord in Queen Creek. We first reported on the incident on Oct. 31, 2023, three days after the assault happened.

Queen Creek police said at the time that they were looking for footage of people or vehicles in an area between Ocotillo Road and Chandler Heights Road, and from Sossaman Road to Hawes Road, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Oct. 28.

At the time, Queen Creek police did not identify Preston, but his family members did.

Preston's aunt, Melissa Lord, says Preston was assaulted at a Halloween party. She said his heart stopped, and other teens were able to perform CPR and restart his heart.

Preston, according to his aunt, suffered a severe brain injury and died at Phoenix Children’s Hospital on Oct. 30.

On Nov. 8, Queen Creek Police officials said they had executed several search warrants related to leads they received. Later that same month, police said multiple persons of interest had been identified in connection with Preston's death.

"We are committed to finding justice for Preston," Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice said in a statement released at the time. "Our investigators are determined and dedicated to solving this case. However, we want more than just an arrest. We want to ensure those involved are convicted of the crime."

In addition, the FBI's involvement in the investigation was also announced.

In December, Queen Creek Police claimed in a statement that some parents "actively refused to let their children participate in the investigation."

"We need people to come forward and stand up for Preston," read a portion of the statement.

"The devastating loss of Preston’s life was due to unnecessary violence," said Preston's stepmother, Melissa Ciconte, during a Chandler City Council meeting on Jan. 11. "Our child will never be coming home, and we need to prevent this from happening again."

Are there other teen violence-related incidents?

Yes.

Gilbert

On Dec. 22, 2023, Gilbert Police released photos that they say are connected with an aggravated robbery incident that happened on Aug. 18 at a parking lot in the area of Williams Field Road and Market Street.

The photos were of a low resolution, but some of them show a group of people involved in what appears to be a fight. In one photo, a person's face can be seen.

At the time the photos were released, Gilbert Police did not appear to officially link the Aug. 18 incident to the so-called "Gilbert Goons" group. Since then, however, officials said the department is "working with the Arizona Gang & Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission (GIITEM), the Mesa Police Department Gang Unit, the Queen Creek Police Department, the Chandler Police Department, and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office to thoroughly investigate any individuals self-proclaiming or being affiliated by others as being associated with the term 'Gilbert Goons.'"

"Initially, Gilbert PD did not have any reports where the victims or the suspects referred to "Gilbert Goons"; however, in recent information received from victims, there are references to their assailants as being associated with "Gilbert Goons,'" a portion of Gilbert Police's website reads.

The investigation, according to Gilbert Police, will determine if the so-called "Gilbert Goons" can be classified as a criminal street gang under Arizona law.

We have spoken with the father and mother of the teen who was injured in the Aug. 18 incident. The teen's father, Richard Kuehner, said several incidents led up to what happened on Aug. 18. The attack reportedly left the teen with internal kidney damage. The teen's Nike shoes were also stolen.

"This has been an hour that night that happened with the police officer going through my son's phone. And we went through every message they have just to see if, you know, maybe my son instigated something or not. We couldn't find any connection or anything. He doesn't even know these kids," said Kuehner, who also revealed that he withdrew his son from school, and sent him overseas to live with his mother.

"It was just so overwhelming," said the teen's mother. "It was like a tsunami wave that truly just rocked our world, and we're still trying to, like, come out of it."

San Tan Valley

On Nov. 18, an incident in San Tan Valley left a teen injured, said the Pinal County Sheriff's Office. The incident happened in a desert area near Wagon Wheel Road and Sun Dance Drive.

"A 16-year-old male victim sustained minor injuries and declined medical treatment. He was not able to immediately identify his attackers," read a portion of PCSO's statement. "A video of the incident was later posted to social media. A Detective from our Criminal Investigations Bureau was assigned to the case and worked to interview witnesses and identify all individuals present that evening."

Mesa

On Jan. 17, 2024, Mesa Police revealed that they are also investigating a violent incident involving juveniles.

"On May 29, 2023, Mesa police officers responded to the area of Val Vista and Southern for reports of a fight involving 30–40 juveniles and young adults. When officers arrived, multiple people scattered in different directions; however, some remained and spoke to officers, but did not provide any information about a fight," read a portion of the statement.

In the same statement, Mesa Police officials said a report was made regarding the fight on Jan. 4. Video evidence was also provided.

Casa Grande

While outside of the East Valley and the Phoenix area in general, there was a teen-involved violent incident in Casa Grande in November 2023 that turned deadly.

According to reports, officers responded to reports of a shooting near Pinal Avenue and Kortsen Road at around 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 26. When officers arrived, they found two 17-year-olds who had been shot. One of them, identified as Hailey Stephens, was shot in the head, and subsequently died from her injuries. The other teen is expected to survive her injuries.

"Based on evidence and information identified on scene, Detectives have determined a house party was being held in a vacant home on Silver Reef Road. An altercation took place between an unknown number of party attendees. At some point during this altercation, shots were fired between the parties involved," police officials said.

The two victims in the case, according to police, do not appear to have been involved, and were "innocent victims of stray gunfire."

Have the authorities made any arrests?

As of January 2024, no arrests have been made in connection with the incident that resulted in Preston's death, but the Queen Creek Police Department has sent recommended charges to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office against seven people related to the homicide investigation.

Arrests, however, have been made in connection with the incidents in Gilbert, Mesa, and San Tan Valley.

In January 2024, Gilbert Police officials said they arrested four people in connection with the Aug. 18 incident. Of the four people arrested, two are juveniles, and the other two were identified as Aris Arredondo and Christopher Fantastic. Both were 18 years old at the time of their arrests.

On Jan. 10, officials with PCSO said they arrested 20-year-old Jacob Pennington of Gilbert in connection with the incident on Nov. 18. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office probable cause statement says Pennington told investigators he's part of the ‘Gilbert Goons’ group, and said the "moniker originated from a Snapchat group chat."

On Jan. 17, PCSO announced the arrest of 19-year-old Garrett Bagshaw, in connection with the same incident Pennington was allegedly connected to.

On Jan. 17, Mesa Police officials said Fantastic was arrested in connection with the incident that happened in May.

As for the deadly incident in Casa Grande, police say five people have been arrested in connection to the shooting death, The five were identified as a 13-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy, a 16-year-old boy from Casa Grande, a 17-year-old boy from Coolidge, and Jesiah Amaru Street, an 18-year-old Coolidge man. Each suspect is accused of murder.

In addition, four other arrests were made. The four are teens aged 15 to 17, and they are accused of criminal trespass.

Has anyone been indicted?

On Jan. 19, officials with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced that they have indicted Fantastic in connection with the August 2023 incident in Gilbert.

Are government officials doing anything about the teen violence?

On Jan. 9, members of the Gilbert Town Council approved, in a unanimous vote, plans to establish a subcommittee on teen violence.

The subcommittee was proposed by councilmembers Jim Torgeson, Chuck Bongiovanni and Scott Anderson. When we first reported on the proposed subcommittee on Jan. 5, all three declined on-camera interviews, but said the purpose of the discussion is for transparency, weeding out misinformation, and figuring out the scope of teen violence in the area.

"The fact of the matter is a lot of the public is extremely concerned, and it needs to be addressed," said Gilbert Town Councilmember Jim Torgeson, in a phone interview. "We've promised to be transparent and accountable, and so that’s exactly what we’re doing."

Is teen violence a problem in the U.S.?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website, youth violence, which they define as "the intentional use of physical force or power to threaten or harm others by young people ages 10-24," is common.

"Homicide is the third leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24 and the leading cause of death for non-Hispanic Black or African American youth. Emergency departments treat over 800 young people for physical assault-related injuries each day," a portion of the website reads.

CDC officials say some youth, like teens in a sexual minority group, are "more likely to experience multiple forms of violence compared to their heterosexual peers." They also say Black or African American youth are "at higher risk for the most physically harmful forms of violence," such as murders, fights with injuries and aggravated assault, when compared with white youth and white young adults.

In addition, CDC officials say youth murders and injuries related to non-fatal physical assaults have resulted in an estimated $122 billion in costs per year, as of 2020. The costs include medical care, lost work, and quality of life, but excludes costs related to the criminal justice system.