New AZ law increases the penalties for group attacks after the death of the Teenager of Queen Creek

The democratic governor Katie Hobbs signed a new law on Monday that increases the penalties for group attacks. The legislation was Worn from the fatal beat of a teenager from Queen Creek in 2023.

The 16-year-old Preston Lord was killed by a group of other teenagers called “Gilbert Goons” who carried out similar attacks on other teenagers.

The cross -party law that bears its name allows the group attacks with a more serious crime.

The sponsor of the draft law, MP Matt Gress (R-Gilbert), said that Preston was more than a name in the legislative recording.

“He is a symbol for why we act, why we have put laws and why we should never become injustices,” said Gress.

The Republican lawyer of Maricopa County, Rachel Mitchell, said Preston's law would enable her office to raise charges that correspond to the seriousness of these crimes.

“I always knew that Preston was intended to do great things and pave the way as a towering young man. Of course I never imagined that his influence would come through his death, but even in this unimaginable tragedy he continues to inspire changes,” said Lord's mother, Autumn Curiel.

Mitchell said when they started to pursue the attackers, they saw the crimes that were originally accused as offenses – although they could bring the indictment to the classes of 6 crimes.

“We gave something, but it just felt hollow because it wasn't nearly on the seriousness we saw,” said Mitchell.

Go forward, She highlighted the “Report, Don't Repost” campaign of her office – urge violence in teenage age to contact law enforcement authorities instead of only publishing pictures and videos on social media.

Mitchell said that other states had reached with interest in this campaign and that it seems to her that an increase in violence has increased in teenage lately.