Three months have passed since 16-year-old Preston Lord died.
On Oct. 28, Lord was left lying in the street, beaten, outside a Halloween party in Queen Creek. He died two days later.
Since then, people and businesses in the southeast Valley — on social media, during marches, at city council meetings — have called for #Justice4PrestonLord as they await more information from law enforcement officials.
No one has been arrested or named as a suspect by Queen Creek police in the homicide investigation, the department’s first. But in late December, police referred charges for seven people — a mix of adults and juveniles — to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for review, which is expected to take time.
Lord’s death exposed a string of attacks by teens in the southeast Valley. In December, an investigation by The Arizona Republic found the “Gilbert Goons,” a gang of mostly affluent teenagers, had engaged in group attacks for more than a year.
Most attacks occurred in Gilbert. Parents, students, and community activists say members of the Goons were involved in Lord’s beating.