The Gilbert Goons are a loose group of roughly two dozen teenagers and young adults from the affluent suburbs east of Phoenix whose years of unprovoked, swarming assaults on other teens ended in the October 2023 beating death of 16-year-old Preston Lord. Seven members were charged with murder, Arizona police later classified the group as a criminal street gang, and the case prompted a new state felony law targeting group attacks.
Who the Group Is
The name began as a Snapchat group chat, an outgrowth of a middle-school friend circle that called itself the “Goonies.” By 2023 it had grown into a loose association of about two dozen high school students, recent graduates, and dropouts based in Gilbert, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, and Chandler.1The New Yorker. How a Homegrown Teen Gang Punctured the Image of an Upscale Community
Members were largely white, upper-middle-class, and the children of families with money. Some were athletes with strong GPAs. Others were described as “truck kids” from north Gilbert who drove lifted F-150s. What they shared was disposable income, expensive vehicles, and few parental curfews.1The New Yorker. How a Homegrown Teen Gang Punctured the Image of an Upscale Community
Investigators called their method “blitz attacks”: unprovoked, swarming assaults in which a victim was knocked to the ground and then punched, kicked, and stomped by multiple attackers. Brass knuckles were used in several incidents. Attacks happened at mall parking lots, parks, house parties, and fast-food restaurants, with at least four documented at a single In-N-Out Burger at San Tan Village Parkway and East Williams Field Road. Members recorded the beatings on their phones and traded the footage in group chats with names like “Social Studies,” while their social media accounts also displayed handguns, drugs, and cash.2AZ Central. Who Are Gilbert Goons An Arizona Republic investigation eventually tied the group to 95 assaults across 18 incidents in the year before Lord was killed.1The New Yorker. How a Homegrown Teen Gang Punctured the Image of an Upscale Community
The Killing of Preston Lord
On October 28, 2023, Preston Lord, a sophomore at Combs High School, went to a Halloween house party in Queen Creek. He and his friends ran into a group of older teens they did not know. After a verbal exchange as Lord’s group tried to leave, someone punched him in the face, knocking him down. Multiple attackers then surrounded him and delivered repeated punches, kicks, and stomps.3AZ Central. William Owen Hines Sentencing in Preston Lord Death Lord was taken to the hospital in critical condition and died two days later. The Maricopa County medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by multiple blunt force injuries.4Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Preston’s Law Announcement
In the hours afterward, members of the group discussed the beating on Snapchat. Defendant Talan Renner was reported to have written, “I might have hospitalized that kid.” Another wrote: “I hit a kid and this kid feel hit his head and then they kicked his head in the ground then i got word he died so idk.”2AZ Central. Who Are Gilbert Goons
Who Was Charged and Where the Cases Stand
The FBI joined the investigation in November 2023. By December, a Maricopa County grand jury had indicted seven people in connection with Lord’s death, all charged as adults:5AZ Family. First of 7 Suspects in Preston Lord’s Murder to Be Sentenced
- William “Owen” Hines, originally charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping.
- Treston Billey, Jacob Meisner, and Dominic Turner, charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery.
- Talan Renner, Taylor Sherman, and Talyn Vigil, charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said it would not pursue the death penalty against any defendant.1The New Yorker. How a Homegrown Teen Gang Punctured the Image of an Upscale Community
Hines, who admitted kicking Lord, is the only defendant who has pleaded guilty so far. In May 2025 he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for manslaughter in the Lord case, plus a consecutive five years for a separate assault conviction, for a total of 17 years.6KTAR. Gilbert Goons East Valley Youth Violence Timeline
The other six have all pleaded not guilty. In January 2026, Judge Sam Myers severed the cases, ordering separate trials for Meisner and Renner because of concerns about how evidence of the “Gilbert Goons” gang classification could spill over onto other defendants. Severance motions from Sherman and Vigil were denied, so at least three separate trials are expected.7ABC15. Judge Grants Motions in Preston Lord Cases, Trial Date Pushed Back Trials were initially set for January 2026, pushed to April, and then reset. As of February 2026, Judge Myers ordered the first trial to begin on October 1, 2026, with the remaining cases proceeding consecutively.8AZ Central. Preston Lord Murder Trials Delayed, Won’t Start for Months
Jacob Meisner is the only defendant still in custody; prosecutors said he had been contacting witnesses.9AZ Family. 6 Suspects in Preston Lord’s Murder Scheduled for Court as Trial Start Date Looms Talyn Vigil, released on a $1 million bond with house arrest, was arrested in February 2026 for reckless driving and had been accused in September 2025 of violating an order of protection; prosecutors asked to revoke his release, but Judge Myers denied the motion.10ABC15. MCAO Files to Revoke Preston Lord Defendant’s Pretrial Release Conditions
Talan Renner has drawn separate scrutiny over allegations that his family tried to shield him. Police reports and witness statements say his father, Travis Renner, moved Talan to the family cabin roughly three hours away after the attack and told him to stay until his hands healed. Witnesses also alleged that business associates tried to backdate electronic calendar records to make it look like Talan had left town before the party and attempted to shift blame to another boy with the same first name.11USA Today. Preston Lord Case Talan Renner Family Accusations Travis Renner’s ex-girlfriend described Talan to police as an “angry kid” and a “fighter.” Renner pleaded not guilty in March 2024.
The Other Attacks
Lord’s death was the most severe act attributed to the group, but it was not an isolated one. In August 2023, Tristan Kuehner, a varsity swimmer at Campo Verde High School, was beaten by at least six members outside a restaurant in Gilbert. Afterward, members showed up at his home and threatened to kill him if he reported it. He eventually moved overseas to live with his mother, losing college scholarship opportunities and a shot at an Olympic qualification.12Courthouse News. Gilbert Goons Victim Sues Perpetrators of Vicious Beatings
Victims across the broader set of incidents suffered skull fractures, facial fractures, broken and missing teeth, and concussions. A 2022 attack left one victim with a cracked skull. A suspect arrested in December 2022 for beating a teen with brass knuckles told police he had left home that night planning to “assault people for no reason.”13AZ Central. Gilbert Goons Response: Fire Police Chief Michael Soelberg
Three defendants connected to the group reached plea deals in the non-murder cases in 2024. Deleon Haynes pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for an August 2023 beating at the In-N-Out Burger; a robbery charge was dropped and he received supervised probation with community service and restitution. Jacob Pennington pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for a December 2022 attack at the same restaurant and received three years of supervised probation. Garrett Bagshaw pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for a November 2023 attack on a 16-year-old in San Tan Valley and was ordered into a diversion program.14Fox 10 Phoenix. Gilbert Goons Plea Deals: What We’ve Learned From Court Documents Pennington was arrested again the same day as one of his sentencings on an underage alcohol charge.15Fox 10 Phoenix. Gilbert Goon Jacob Pennington Arrested Following His Teen Violence Sentences
Official Gang Classification
On May 2, 2024, a multi-jurisdictional taskforce — including police in Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, and Mesa, plus the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office — announced that a six-month investigation had concluded the Gilbert Goons met Arizona’s legal definition of a “criminal street gang” and specifically fit the category of a “hybrid gang.”16Town of Gilbert. East Valley Teen Violence Investigation Update
Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg said hybrid gangs lack formal leadership, use social media as their main organizing tool, include mixed genders and races, have no established colors or symbols, and let members associate with other groups. Investigators identified a second hybrid gang, the “Jack Boy Mafia,” which they described as connected to the Goons.17KJZZ. Gilbert Police Say Gilbert Goons and Jack Boy Mafia Are Hybrid Criminal Gangs
Despite the designation, investigators said they did not have enough evidence to bring separate “participating in or assisting a criminal street gang” charges, because Arizona law requires proving a felony was committed specifically to promote the gang’s criminal objectives, a standard that was hard to meet with a group this loosely organized. The gang intelligence was handed to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for use in prosecutions and sentencing.16Town of Gilbert. East Valley Teen Violence Investigation Update
Preston’s Law
The case produced a new state law. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell and State Representative Matt Gress authored House Bill 2611, called Preston’s Law, which creates a new category of aggravated assault for attacks committed by someone aided by two or more accomplices present at the scene. It is a class 4 felony, blocks such attacks from being reduced to misdemeanors, and applies to both juveniles and adults.18Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Preston’s Law Announcement
The bill passed with contested margins: 5-4 in the House Judiciary Committee, 37-21 on the House floor, 4-3 in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 18-10 on the Senate floor.19Arizona Legislature. HB 2611 Bill Summary Governor Katie Hobbs signed it on May 12, 2025. It was first invoked in June 2026, when the Surprise Police Department submitted charges against two teenagers for a group assault at a house party.20Fox 10 Phoenix. Surprise Teen Assault Leads Police to Submit Preston’s Law Charges Several East Valley cities also enacted local bans on the sale or possession of brass knuckles after the case.21AZ Family. What’s Changed 2 Years After the Death of Preston Lord
What Police and Schools Missed
The case drew heavy criticism of how Gilbert police and area schools had handled earlier violence. An Arizona Republic editorial documented that calls to the In-N-Out on Market Street rose significantly from 2021 to 2023 without the department identifying a pattern. Several assault cases sat shelved for months. Only after the Republic published an investigation in mid-December 2023 did the department reactivate four cases and open five new ones.13AZ Central. Gilbert Goons Response: Fire Police Chief Michael Soelberg
Chief Soelberg did not publicly address the situation until mid-January 2024 and initially refused to use the name “Gilbert Goons,” calling the incidents “teen violence.” He said many earlier attacks had gone unreported. Critics said he had blamed victims for not coming forward and had announced investigations into community members who were “doxxing” suspected attackers online while the public was still seeking answers police had not provided.13AZ Central. Gilbert Goons Response: Fire Police Chief Michael Soelberg Mayor Brigette Peterson announced in January 2024 that she would not seek reelection, citing loss of community trust.
Rick Kuehner testified before the Arizona Senate that he had reported his son Tristan’s beating to both the school and Gilbert police and received what he called a “scant response” from both, with punishments amounting to “a slap on the wrist.”22AZ Mirror. Bill to Make Gilbert Goons-Style Attacks Felonies Moves Forward in Arizona Senate Riggs Elementary principal Jamie Lander, whose stepson was named in Kuehner’s lawsuit for his alleged role in the attacks, was placed on leave and the Chandler Unified School District began seeking her replacement.23AZ Central. Chandler Schools Replace Principal Named in Gilbert Goon-Related Lawsuits
The Civil Lawsuits
Two major civil cases run alongside the criminal prosecutions. In February 2024, Rick Kuehner sued 17 alleged Goons members and 26 parents of underage members in Maricopa County Superior Court. Claims against the attackers include conspiracy, assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The parents are accused of negligent supervision for allegedly turning “a blind eye” to their children’s conduct. Under Arizona law, parents can be held liable for the first $10,000 in actual damages caused by a minor child; the suit also seeks damages for emotional harm, lost scholarships, and punitive damages, and cites $14,000 in medical bills for Tristan alone.24AZ Central. Gilbert Goons Teens Parents Lawsuit Gang Attacks Kuehner also filed a $6 million notice of claim against the Chandler Unified School District, alleging officials had been warned about death threats to his son and failed to act.23AZ Central. Chandler Schools Replace Principal Named in Gilbert Goon-Related Lawsuits
Preston Lord’s parents, Nicholas Lord and Autumn Curiel, separately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the seven murder defendants and several parents. It targets the Renner family for negligent supervision, citing Talan Renner’s history of violent incidents, and names Roberto and Emily Correa, owners of the house where the Halloween party took place, alleging they failed to supervise juveniles and served alcohol to minors.25AZ Family. Lord Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against 7 Suspects, Parents No rulings on the merits of either civil case have been reported.