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Gilbert Goons officially designated as a gang after terrorizing Arizona town and 'beating boy to death'
The Gilbert Goons, a group of young men who have been terrorizing Phoenix suburbs for years, have finally been designated as a criminal street gang.
Following a months-long investigation into the gang, sparked by the killing of 16-year-old Preston Lord, embattled Gilbert police chief Michael Soelberg confirmed on Thursday the group functions as an organized criminal entity.
However, the official designation will not lead to new charges against the Goon suspects, because, as officials said, the violence committed by the group was not meant to strengthen the gang.
'Each of these law enforcement agencies here today have reviewed their investigations involving identified members of this gang, and based on the information available at this time, there is not sufficient evidence to submit additional charges of participating in or assisting a criminal street gang,' Soelberg said.
Soelberg was accompanied by representatives from four other police departments in the East Valley area that have dealt with the Goons' activities.
Following a months-long investigation into the group, embattled Gilbert police chief Michael Soelberg confirmed on Thursday the group functions as an organized criminal entity
The chief explained the Goons were classified as a 'hybrid gang,' because it relies on social media, its members are not of the same race and it has a 'lax or absent' code of conduct.
According to police, the Goons lack aspects of a traditional gang, including defined leadership and rules, specific use of symbols and colors, and lifelong commitments.
However, there is no legal difference between hybrid and traditional hangs, Soelberg added.
The Goons have been involved in at least 95 assaults in 18 attacks, most in Gilbert, as reported by the Arizona Republic.
Soelberg previously told DailyMail.com his department has made 29 arrests in connection to the attacks.
Earlier this month, the chief claimed in an exclusive interview that Gilbert did not have a teen violence issue.
Gilbert, a wealthy Phoenix suburb once billed as the country's second-safest city, has been in national news over the teen delinquents who have allegedly terrorized the community since as far back as 2022.
But Soelberg has said the videos of teen attacks and claims made by alleged victims about their reign of terror were not shared with police until after the fatal beating of Lord 16, at a Halloween party in October in nearby Queen Creek.
Seven teens and young men, including several Goons suspects, have been charged with his murder, sparking accusations from some in the community who believe the alleged killers should have been removed from the streets long ago.
One father, Rick Kuehner, claims he had been trying to get Gilbert police and school officials to protect his son from the Goons since last summer, when his child was first threatened and then brutally beaten up at an In-N-Out parking lot which was a go-to spot for the teen delinquents.
In a lawsuit against Goon suspects, their parents and Arizona officials, Kuehner argues that authorities failed to protect his son, and then also failed to punish the Goons.
The Goons' reign of terror: DailyMail.com can reveal how the gang of youngsters ran amok in the Arizona town before Preston Lord's death in October
He and other members of the community have told DailyMail.com they believe Soelberg is one of the officials who should resign over their alleged negligence.
But chief Soelberg claims his department has properly investigated and appropriately closed the alleged killers' previous charges.
He told DailyMail.com: 'It was never documented that this was the term that they were doing before Preston was killed. That was all information that came up after Preston Lord was killed.
'We looked at all of our cases involving those seven subjects involved in that case, and we had properly investigated all cases that we had with them prior to Lord's murder. We had no pending cases.'
Soelberg has said the videos of teen attacks and claims made by alleged victims about their reign of terror were not shared with police until after the fatal beating of Preston Lord 16
The seven suspects of Preston Lord's death, from top left to bottom right: Jacob Meisner, Talan Renner, Taylor Sherman, Treston Billey, Talyn Vigil, Dominic Turner, William Owen
Goons suspects Treston Billie and Jacob Meisner are named in Kuehner's lawsuit after several assault arrests in Gilbert. They are both also accused with Lord's murder
Soelberg added that once the community started sharing videos and information, his department was able to act.
The chief added that his department currently has eight open teen violence cases, but they are not all related to the alleged Goons.
After Lord's brutal beating and subsequent alleged attempted cover ups were detailed by The Arizona Republic, authorities reopened multiple cases believed to have been conducted by a larger group of assailants.
Victims and residents in the area have described the group as mostly white, upper-middle-class teenagers from multiple East Valley high schools.
Their assaults appeared unmotivated and were often recorded and shared by the attackers themselves.
Several lawsuits have been filed claiming that law enforcement and school officials allowed the Goons to continue unleashing their violence since as least 2022.
Arizona businessman Travis Renner has been accused of trying to help his teen son cover up the murder
Travis Renner's other son Kyler has been charged in connection with two gang attacks at a parking garage and a house party in 2022
Activists held vigils and marched to protest growing gang violence in Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler and other Phoenix suburbs following Lord's killing.
At least three of the murder suspects in the case, Jacob Meisner, Dominic Turner and William Himes, were previously charged in connection to Gilbert Goons attacks.
Talan Renner, 17, is one of the young men accused. His brother Kyler is also believed to be a member of the Goons.
Their father Travis Renner, meanwhile has been accused of trying to cover up Talan's involvement in Lord's alleged murder.