16-year-old Preston Lord mourned at candlelight vigil in San Tan Valley
Over 100 people gathered at the Combs High School courtyard in San Tan Valley on Thursday evening for a candlelight vigil to remember and mourn the death of 16-year-old Preston Lord, who died after being assaulted at a Halloween party in Queen Creek.
Dozens of lit candles lined the floor of the school's courtyard as friends and loved ones of Lord recalled their favorite memories of him.
Some students described him as a kind and considerate confidant they looked up to.
A man who identified himself as Lord's uncle said his nephew was a kind and intelligent person with good grades and was doing everything he was supposed to.
"I just assumed we were going to have more time with him," the man said. "And we won't."
News of Lord's brutal assault and subsequent death shocked the Queen Creek community and beyond, garnering an outpouring of support for his family as police continued investigating his death.
Thursday's vigil was planned by the Queen Creek community in collaboration with the J.O. Combs Unified School District.
The family arranged funeral services for Nov. 10 and 11.
More: What we know about Preston Lord, the Queen Creek teen fatally assaulted at party
What happened
On Oct. 28, police responded to a home near Via del Oro and 194th Street after receiving reports of a “juvenile disturbance” and found multiple teenagers leaving a home gathering, but didn’t see a party or any illegal activity, according to police.
A high-priority call on a crime in progress at another location came in a few minutes later, so officers left the area. Just before 10 p.m., another 911 call came in about an assault and Lord was found lying in the roadway seriously injured at that location.
Some neighbors told The Arizona Republic they saw a body lying on the ground near the stop sign at 194th Street and Via del Rancho. They could not, however, distinguish commotion near the time of the assault from that of a typical party or someone being assaulted.
Officers performed life-saving efforts before Lord was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. He succumbed to his injuries after two days.
Queen Creek Police Commander Mark Newman previously said investigators "were making good gains" in what was the department’s first homicide investigation and that 76 tips had come in from the community in the days following Lord's death.
The Queen Creek Police Department posted an update on Facebook Wednesday evening saying officers "executed several search warrants related to investigative leads and continues to work towards an arrest. We understand that the community wants quick resolution - as a police department, we are committed to a thorough investigation to hold the appropriate people accountable and bring justice to the family."
The department didn't specify whether it had identified any suspects or persons of interest.
Police have asked anyone with information or video relevant to the case to email QCPDInvestigators@QueenCreekAZ.gov or call the non-emergency line at 480-358-3500.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Preston Lord, teen killed at Queen Creek party, honored at vigil
