Fast and lethal: Preston Lord attack only lasted 'seconds,' Queen Creek police chief says

The fatal beating of Preston Lord was over in seconds.

Queen Creek police Chief Randy Brice said the Oct. 28 attack was swift and brutal and ended with the 16-year-old lying unresponsive in the street outside of a Halloween party. The scene was chaotic. The attack moved through throngs of teenage partygoers and played out in more than one place.

"I cannot emphasize that enough," Brice said. "I don't think people understand. They think this was a minutes-long confrontation. It was seconds."

In an interview with The Arizona Republic, Brice said detectives have solved the puzzle of why the attack happened. They have a clear understanding of what led up to it — the motive.

"Detectives worked really hard to get to that point. But, yes, we have a why," he said. "We understand why it happened."

Brice, with the four-month anniversary of the department's first homicide case looming, laid out aspects of the investigation and where it has taken detectives. After hundreds of hours and nonstop work, one thing is clear: Investigators' early findings were only reinforced as their work continued, he said.

"They pretty much had everything kind of figured out within a week or two," Brice said. "They had everybody's names pretty much mapped. ... No real surprises over the next few months after that. So there's been no big reveal here."

Detectives built a strong case in the first two months and have added to their findings as the investigation continued, he said.

"We had this case wrapped up to the point where we were ready to submit charges in two months, which, for those that have been around law enforcement and homicide cases, that's pretty darn quick," Brice said.

On Dec. 28, the two-month anniversary of Lord's beating, police referred charges against seven people — a mix of adults and juveniles — to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. Brice would not disclose what those people are being accused of but said it spans a variety of charges.

No one has been arrested or charged in the Lord case. The County Attorney's Office said thousands of pieces of evidence are undergoing a thorough review.

Brice said there could be additional referrals against other people.

A Dec. 14 investigation by The Republic detailed how Lord's death was likely tied to a string of vicious attacks by the "Gilbert Goons." The gang of mostly affluent teenagers recorded their blitz-style attacks on other teens in parks and parking garages, outside fast-food restaurants and at house parties.

Parents, students and community activists in the aftermath of Lord's attack pointed the finger at individual Goons.

Most of the attacks occurred in Gilbert and went unchecked by police there for more than a year. But others were reported in Mesa and Pinal County. Since The Republic's report was published, at least 16 adults and juveniles have been arrested in connection with Goon attacks.

The father of a victim in one of those attacks questioned whether Lord might still be alive if Gilbert police had acted sooner on his son's beating.

Key aspects of 'difficult case' remain under wraps as investigators work

Brice said he is confident in the case his department has built.

"I would love to have an open-shut, bulletproof case," he said. "This is a difficult, difficult case. While I believe we have a very, very strong case, I'm always up for more evidence and more testimony."

Brice has stood firm on not sharing specific aspects of the investigation until the county attorney's review is complete and arrests are made: "I've said this over and over ... our reluctance to provide detail is not an indication of our lack of ability or experience or fortitude."

Brice said he is also reluctant to share information because detectives don't want to influence new potential witnesses and are following up on incoming tips every day.

"They're not sleeping. They're not taking days off. They are working around the clock," he said.

Most of the recent tips have not come as surprises, Brice said. Detectives are still waiting for the "gold nugget that might pop up" and help strengthen their case.

Other reported Goon attacks have complicated the homicide investigation, he said. Some details and names in Goon cases shared on social media were conflated with the Lord case. Detectives had to separate tips on attack cases in other cities from what happened in Queen Creek.

"So, yeah, one tip can take three or four cops out for a day or two," he said. "So it's very challenging when you're getting dozens of those a week. But it's important, and we've said this over and over."

Nevertheless, Brice said he does not want to discourage tips and praised the community's determination to help solve the case.

"If you have any information, videos, evidence, you know, anything that might lead us to a certain new witness, we will take the time to run it down," he said. "And so that's why we're reluctant to talk about some of the details — because we are literally still talking to new people every day."

Widely shared video shows attempted rescue — not attack

Brice would not say if the department has obtained video of the attack on Lord.

However, he acknowledged a "disturbing" video showing scenes from immediately after the beating that has been widely shared. He said many have confused it with the attack.

"That is the one clip that everybody is assuming was the attack," he said. "It was not. It was the aftermath, and those were rescuers."

It depicted a couple of people helping to move Lord's unconscious body to the side of the road, Brice said.

He said the video was sent to Lord's family.

"The only thing that kind of bothered me is that people sent that to the families," Brice said. "It was very frustrating. Luckily, the audio was not attached when the family got it. But that's the part that has been more frustrating than anything for us: the impact on the family. It was devastating, to be honest with you."

Brice said he has an obligation to the Lord family and the community.

"We only have one chance to do this right. And I don't want to do it wrong because it's important for the family," he said.

He said detectives are double-checking facts and doing "everything by the numbers." Evidence is being reviewed by experts to make sure the case is on the right track.

"I'm telling you, there's been some incredible work done with a really, really difficult situation," he said.

Chief: Goon attacks a 'new twist' on teen violence

What happened to Lord was an "anomaly" for the department and is bound to leave a mark on everyone, Brice said. His department had been tackling the emergence of teen violence since the department was formed in January 2022, he said, but they stayed on top of it until it died down.

But the attack on Lord and the other gang-like beatings recently reported in the region have been a "new twist" to teen violence that Brice said he has never seen before.

"They're not out for money," he said. "They're not out for your typical gang-related types of thing. Territory, money, power. It's just really weird."

Whether or not the Goons is an actual criminal street gang is for the County Attorney's Office to decide. But Brice said the group has become a symbol of an overarching problem that police require the community's help combating.

"You can't police your way out of this problem," he said. "You can deal with the immediacy of the problems, but you can't deal with the underpinning issues. So that's why while police need to stay vigilant to keep that safety for the community ... we have to do it together."

Official finding: Preston Lord's death ruled a homicide by Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner

Robert Anglen is an investigative reporter for The Republic. Reach him at robert.anglen@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8694. Follow him on X @robertanglen.

Reach reporter Elena Santa Cruz at elena.santacruz@gannett.com or 480-466-2265. Follow her on X @ecsantacruz3.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Preston Lord attack lasted 'seconds,' Queen Creek police chief says