Gilbert passes brass knuckles ban in effort to clamp down on 'Goons' violence

Corrections & Clarifications: Town Attorney Christopher Payne's title was incorrect in a previous version of the article.

It is now illegal for minors to buy or own brass knuckles in Gilbert, after a vote of a unified Gilbert Town Council on Tuesday to crack down on the weapon.

After Preston Lord's death on Oct. 30, 2023, and The Arizona Republic's investigation that uncovered the violent neighborhood gang, the "Gilbert Goons," pressure from residents has led to the Gilbert Town Council's recent efforts to prevent teen violence.

Vice Mayor Scott Anderson and Councilmembers Chuck Bongiovanni and Jim Torgeson sit on Gilbert's council subcommittee focused on preventing teen violence. The full council unanimously passed the committee's ordinance banning the sale and possession of brass knuckles to a minor.

The Goons, a group of mostly wealthy teenage boys, have been accused of blitz-style attacks on other teens in the southeast Valley for more than a year. Some attacks involved brass knuckles, including one assault against high school student Conner Jarnagan. Jarnagan spoke to the council prior to the vote on Tuesday night, expressing his support for the ordinance.

"Brass knuckles are dangerous weapons designed with a single purpose in mind, to inflict maximum harm upon another human being," said Jarnagan. "Unlike many other weapons, brass knuckles are specifically engineered to enhance the force of a punch, turning a relatively harmless blow into a potential lethal weapon. I know this because doctors told me, had my injury been an inch over I could have been paralyzed or killed."

95 assaults, 29 arrests: 'Gilbert Goons' videos raise questions on lack of police action

The ordinance passed Tuesday night in Gilbert mirrors the brass knuckle ban passed in Chandler earlier this month. In comparison, in the cities of Phoenix and Yuma, the sale of brass knuckles is prohibited outright, while Gilbert and Chandler's new ordinances ban the sale of brass knuckles to specifically minors.

In addition to the brass knuckle ban, Gilbert Town Council also passed an ordinance making residential homeowners, commercial landlords, and tenants legally liable and responsible for unruly gatherings on their property.

Town Attorney Christopher Payne explained that penalties for parties that "get out of hand" will include a civil fine between $500 and $2,500 and a second violation would be a class 1 misdemeanor, the most serious category of non-felony crime.

The Gilbert Town Council passed the unruly gathering ordinance unanimously.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gilbert passes brass knuckles ban to address 'Goons' violence