Victim of 'Gilbert Goons' attack wants Legislature to put limits on brass knuckles

In late 2022, a member of the "Gilbert Goons" attacked Connor Jarnagan with brass knuckles, striking him in the head.

Now, Jarnagan, 17, is working to get the weapon used against him — metal fittings that go around the fingers and amplify the force of a punch — regulated.

Jarnagan wrote a letter on Oct. 6, calling on legislators to limit brass knuckles in Arizona, one of 12 states where the weapon is unrestricted under state law. In 17 more states, the weapon is legal with a permit.

The urgency of Jarnagan's campaign intensified in recent months as it has become more widely known how frequently and violently the Goons have attacked teens across the East Valley.

Jarnagan's letter was sent just weeks before 16-year-old Preston Lord was beaten so severely at a Halloween party in Queen Creek that he died two days later.

During the first meeting of the Gilbert Town Council's teen violence subcommittee on Jan. 18, Councilmember Chuck Bongiovanni proposed getting a lawmaker to sponsor a bill to make it illegal for a minor to buy brass knuckles.

What happened to Connor Jarnagan?

Jarnagan was attacked on Dec. 30, 2022, outside the Gilbert In-N-Out Burger at San Tan Village Parkway and East Williams Field Road. It was dinnertime, about 6:30 p.m. The 16-year-old sophomore was hanging out with a friend, leaning against his car and listening to music.

His mother, Stephanie Jarnagan, told The Arizona Republic in a Dec. 14 article that a group of teenagers approached him. One teen demanded $20. When her son refused, Stephanie Jarnagan said, the teen told her son they would take his car.

Fearful his car would be stolen, Stephanie Jarnagan said, her son turned to grab his keys and felt something smash into the back of his head. He was stunned and turned around to see the boy who threatened him holding brass knuckles.

"He felt blood gushing down his neck," Stephanie Jarnagan said. "He just threw whatever money he had at them, got in his car, and drove across the street to Dick's Sporting Goods. That's where he called for help."

Court records obtained by The Arizona Republic state the teen who attacked Connor bragged on Snapchat about it: "I already beat someone's ass tn" and "he wouldn't give me his car so I punched him in the back of his head and he gave me $20.00." In another post, he posed with a shotgun.

The teenager was charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated assault. He was placed in juvenile detention for three months, then was transferred to a behavioral health facility for five months and then was on probation with an ankle monitor for two months.

A report filed in Maricopa County Superior Court in April noted the teenager acknowledged "multiple instances of leaving the home with the plan to assault people for no reason." He was known to commit unprovoked attacks "with his peers," according to court records.

During sentencing, the teenager apologized to the two families, records state. Connor Jarnagan said he forgave him.

"At first, it was really hard. Because I was hit and was injured for a while, I couldn't play sports," Connor Jarnagan said. "Ultimately, I forgave him because I know he can turn his life around, and I'm really happy if he does."

Letter calls for regulation of brass knuckles

Connor Jarnagan said he was disturbed to learn there had been other victims of brass knuckle assaults in Arizona.

He told The Republic that police told him there had been other recent brass knuckle attacks. He's also heard through the grapevine of people getting hit with brass knuckles, he said.

The same teenager who attacked Connor Jarnagan was also responsible for a brass knuckle attack less than two weeks earlier at a party in Gilbert, according to court records. Authorities described both attacks as "vicious."

Connor Jarnagan said knowing there were other victims of similar assaults was what compelled him to advocate for change. In his letter, he wrote that his attack was one of many.

“There is no redeeming value for brass knuckles — they add nothing to our communities in Arizona besides contributing to violent crime and providing disturbed teens and adults with a weapon that can kill someone,” he wrote.

While some municipalities, including Phoenix and Yuma, have passed ordinances banning the sale and use of brass knuckles, state statute makes no mention of the weapon.

"With legislation banning or placing restrictions on the use of brass knuckles, I believe we could make our communities safer and work together to educate people about the dangers of this weapon,” he wrote.

He's thankful for the support he has received from family and friends, he said. They helped him research the issue and encouraged him to send the letter, he said.

Stephanie Jarnagan said she admires her son's efforts to advocate for his community's safety.

"It was a tough situation to go through, but he has relied on his faith, and he's taught me tremendous amounts of things in that regard," she said.

Connor Jarnagan said his campaign had grown more serious since Oct. 28, when Lord was beaten.

Stephanie Jarnagan said that when she heard about Lord's death, she could not help but think that it could have been her son. She described Lord's killing as "inhumane, evil and unfathomable."

"It just sounded all too familiar," she said. "The gang of kids. The beating. The head trauma that he suffered. It was awful. Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of Preston Lord and his family."

Senator commits to sponsor brass knuckle ban

Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, told The Republic that he intends to sponsor a bill prohibiting brass knuckles and that he could introduce legislation soon.

Kavanagh said he was surprised to learn that brass knuckles and similar weapons, like gloves with weighted knuckles and weighted bludgeons called blackjacks, are legal in Arizona.

"Brass knuckles greatly increase the injury damage, which is one reason why anybody victimized by them truly suffers," he said. "They should be illegal."

Kavanagh said brass knuckles are "totally different" from guns in that they are purely offensive weapons and have "no self-defense value." He said he does not think the new bill would provoke debate on gun laws.

"I don't anticipate any resistance," he said. "Handguns, tasers, chemical sprays, those are defensive weapons that people can carry. ... Brass knuckles are not a defensive weapon."

Connor Jarnagan said he wants people interested in banning or restricting brass knuckles to write to their legislators to support his campaign. He also said he hoped other victims of brass knuckle assaults would report them to the police, raising awareness about the issue and advancing the search for solutions.

"In the end, it will ultimately make our communities more safe," he said.

Republic reporters Lillian Boyd and Kayla Jackson contributed to this article.

Reach the reporter at laura.sepulveda@gannett.com.

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.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Victim of 'Gilbert Goons' attack wants law to limit brass knuckles