Preston Lord memorial event to be held 1 year after deadly attack shocked community

PHOENIX – One year after Preston Lord was fatally attacked, the community is invited to honor the teen’s life Monday night at a memorial event in Queen Creek.

Attendees are encouraged to wear orange, Lord’s favorite color, to the “Light the Night” water lantern memorial at Frontier Family Park near Signal Butte and Queen Creek roads.

The event is scheduled to run from 6 to 8 p.m., starting at the southeast section of the park near the ramadas and lake area.

Water lanterns will be available at the park with a suggested donation of $10.

Lord was 16 when a group of youths attacked him outside a Halloween party on Oct. 28, 2023. He died at a hospital two days later.

In March of this year, seven males ages 17-20 were arrested and charged with Lord’s murder. They are scheduled to go to trial in July 2025.

Justice 4 Preston Lord movement embraced by community

After Lord’s death, his parents came up with the idea of Justice 4 Preston Lord, a movement symbolized by orange bracelets that was embraced across the region.

The movement helped expose a plague of youth violence in the East Valley, as previously silent victims came forward. Many of the assaults were attributed to a gang of teens and young adults known as the Gilbert Goons.

Sept. 23, which would have been Lord’s 17th birthday, was recognized as Preston Lord Day in Chandler.

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