Maricopa County’s top prosecutor and a state lawmaker are scheduled to hold a news conference on Thursday to formally introduce a bill named in honor of Preston Lord, a teen whose death shined a spotlight on youth violence.
If passed, attacks made by two or more people would be legally defined as aggravated assault and qualify for a tougher penalty.
Seven people are accused of murder for allegedly having beat Lord to death outside a Queen Creek house party in late 2023.
The case, and news coverage of a string of beatings leading up to it, put the name Gilbert Goons in the national lexicon.
Gilbert police later said the group is a hybrid gang, which lacks the features of a traditional gang and meant there was not enough evidence to pursue gang-related charges.
Now County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is set to publicly endorse a bill sponsored by Rep. Matt Gress (R-Phoenix) that would target those who take part in the type of group attack that killed Lord.