People turn out to Gilbert Town Council meeting to talk about teen violence

For the second week in a row, elected officials in the East Valley were called on by community members to condemn teenage violence after the deaths of 16-year-old Preston Lord and two other teens in nearby communities.

More than a dozen people dressed in orange showed up Tuesday evening for the Gilbert Town Council meeting after organizers involved in the #Justice4PrestonLord movement asked community members through social media to speak out about teen violence and safety. Orange has become a signifier of the movement, which has spread through the East Valley.

"A perfect storm of collective trauma has hit our region," said Katey McPherson, a former teacher and school counselor turned community organizer, to the council.

She asked the Town Council to publicly condemn the act of violence that took Preston's life. The council members could not respond to Tuesday's public comments because their discussion is limited to items on the agenda published before the meeting.

"I'm hopeful that together we can see, hear, and love each other and our youth," McPherson said. "They need us more than ever."

Preston, a student at Combs High School in San Tan Valley, died after being beaten outside of a large Halloween party in Queen Creek on Oct. 28. Jamiere Jenkins, 17, was fatally shot in San Tan Valley on Nov. 28. Hailey Stephens, 17, was fatally shot at a house party in Casa Grande the weekend before Jamiere's death.

Nicki Connelly, a Chandler resident, came to the Gilbert Town Council meeting to tell the elected leaders about her own family's experience with teen violence in the East Valley.

"I am the face of a boy who was the victim of a jumping," Connelly said before recounting how her son was attacked by a group of boys at Chandler Fashion Center in November 2022.

"He knew how to defend himself," Connelly said. "He knew to cover his neck so he did not die."

She asked that local elected leaders come together to address the teen violence that East Valley communities have experienced.

After four members of the public spoke, Gilbert police Chief Michael Soelberg acknowledged that there are feelings of fear and frustration in the community. He said it would be inappropriate to comment on the Queen Creek Police Department's investigation into Preston's death. He encouraged people to report any concerns about violence in Gilbert to his department.

Last week, members of the community showed up to the Queen Creek Town Council meeting and expressed similar concerns about teenage violence and the mental health of kids.

At that meeting, Queen Creek police Chief Randy Brice said there was no evidence that the deaths of Preston, Jamiere and Hailey were linked.

Regarding Preston's case, Brice said police were awaiting a medical examiner's report, which might be months away due to the complexity of the case. Brice also said that more than 59 search warrants had been served.

As of Tuesday, no arrests had been made in Preston's case.

Reach the reporters at [email protected] and [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: People speak at about teen violence Gilbert Town Council meeting