In late 2022, a member of the “Gilbert Goons” attacked Connor Jarnagan with brass knuckles, striking him in the head.
Now, Jarnagan, 17, is working to get the weapon used against him — metal fittings that go around the fingers and amplify the force of a punch — regulated.
Jarnagan wrote a letter on Oct. 6, calling on legislators to limit brass knuckles in Arizona, one of 12 states where the weapon is unrestricted under state law. In 17 more states, the weapon is legal with a permit.
The urgency of Jarnagan’s campaign intensified in recent months as it has become more widely known how frequently and violently the Goons have attacked teens across the East Valley.
Jarnagan’s letter was sent just weeks before 16-year-old Preston Lord was beaten so severely at a Halloween party in Queen Creek that he died two days later.
During the first meeting of the Gilbert Town Council’s teen violence subcommittee on Jan. 18, Councilmember Chuck Bongiovanni proposed getting a lawmaker to sponsor a bill to make it illegal for a minor to buy brass knuckles.