The parents of Preston Lord, who died after he was attacked at a Halloween party last year, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday, naming all seven alleged attackers in the case. In addition to the seven people indicted in the case, the homeowners who hosted the Halloween party and the parents of some of the suspects are also listed.
The lawsuit obtained by ABC15 accuses the defendants of negligence, battery, and aiding and abetting tortious conduct.
The lawsuit states that the parents of Talan Renner should have been aware of “their son’s propensity to engage in violence and inflict physical harm upon others,” citing three previous incidents involving alleged threats, fighting/bullying or assault.
The document also states that the owners of the home where the attack took place “owed a duty of reasonable care” and should have supervised what was going on at the party.
“The Lord Family seeks justice and accountability for all those who contributed to Preston’s death. This lawsuit brings them one step closer to achieving that goal. They are grateful for the community support and are determined to see this through to the end,“ said Andrew J. & Bryn K. DeFusco of DeFusco Law.
Read the full lawsuit below:
On Oct. 28, 2023, 16-year-old Preston Lord was found lying in the roadway after an attack on a Halloween party in Queen Creek in the area of Via del Oro and 194th Street. He was pronounced dead two days later.
After Lord's death, several other teen violence cases were reported in the East Valley and ABC15 started hearing concerns from viewers about a group known as the "Gilbert Goons" in the days following Lord's death. The Gilbert Goons have since been classified as a criminal street gang, though the group has not been connected to Lord's death.
Multiple East Valley agencies also opened investigations into assault cases from as early as December 3, 2022. Some cases were not reported until after Lord's death.
Dale Jorgensen told ABC15 in February that he decided to report his own assault to police in the weeks after Lord's death.
"You coming forward will just help more and help to take them down, and being confident in what you say and what you do is the first step," said Jorgensen in February.
Several arrests have since been made in teen violence cases and some suspects have received sentencing.
A target trial date for the seven suspects in Lord's case has been set for July 2025, but defense attorneys believe there will be more delays before the trial starts.
Efforts by community members led to ordinance changes in Chandler and Gilbert that outlawed unruly gatherings and brass knuckles for minors. Ordinances in both cities targeting unruly gatherings allow law enforcement to hold those hosting such gatherings accountable.
ABC15 continues to follow East Valley teen violence cases. Find our latest coverage here.
