SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ — A community event was held at Combs High School on Tuesday to honor Preston Lord and other teens impacted by teen violence, followed by a show of support at the Combs Coyotes basketball game.
Lord's spirit continues to fuel the team's energy, which was apparent as Combs played against Eastmark.
Head coach Hosea Graham started the game with a heartfelt message — "be kind."
In Lord's honor, his jersey was on a seat next to his fellow teammates.
"It lifts us up because that's our way of connecting with Preston," said Graham.
The team is also connecting with the community in a new way. Lord's favorite color, orange, now stands for bringing awareness to teen violence.
An "orange-out event" was held before the game, showing that "people are willing to stand up and make a statement to try and make this community safer… not just for them but for all the teens because there's fear, there's fear out there," said Graham.
The event created a space for people to share resources and messages of hope.
FULL COVERAGE: East Valley teen violence
Courtney Rodgers brought her young kids.
"This death has opened up everyone's eyes about what else is happening in our community with our kids. So it's just... I just brought them out so we can be a part of our community and be supportive," said Rodgers.
Lord's stepmother Melissa Ciconte was one of the organizers of Tuesday's event.
"Preston was not a violent teenager, nor did he promote or have involvement in teenage drama. We never thought in a million years that this would have happened to our child," said Ciconte.
She has been working with other parents on a grassroots movement they have created. Their message is to be an upstander and not a bystander - stand up to bullying and teen violence.
"That you go to an adult and let them know to intervene to stop this," said Ciconte.
Organizers made sure to honor others who were recently impacted by teen violence: 17-year-old Jamiere Jenkins, a football player also from Combs, was shot and killed just weeks after Preston died, and 17-year-old Hailey Stephens, a cheerleader from Casa Grande, was shot to death by what investigators believe was a stray bullet at a party.
Parents agree that change needs to happen.
"Not letting people forget what happened in the community. We want to prevent this from happening by really talking to our kids," said a Combs High School parent.
Have a news tip related to teen violence in the East Valley? Email us at teenviolence@abc15.com
