Halloween is that time of the year when people channel their innermost alter egos, desires, fantasies, and make-believe personas while exploring their other sides. The spooky holiday forgives and forgets everyone, allowing people to enjoy everything they are not.
But this time, a line was crossed and cost an innocent life.
On October 28, 2023, authorities were called at a Halloween party brimming with teenagers in Phoenix, Arizona. When the police responded to the second call 40 minutes later, they found a teen lying in the road near 194th Street and Via Del Rancho Road. The Queen Creek police department revealed that a teenage kid was assaulted, causing a grave brain injury. The boy was identified as Preston Lord.
Investigations are still ongoing, and no arrests have been made yet. Unfortunately, Lord was declared dead at the hospital. A GoFundMe page has been set up for Preston.
Who Is Preston Lord?
Preston Lord is a young teenager living in the small community of Queen Creek in Phoenix, Arizona.
According to a few sources, Preston studied at the Red Mountain High School, located in Mesa, Arizona. Per the accounts of the neighbors in the suburban region of Queen Creek, the Halloween party was definitely getting out of hand.
Jeanna Pignatiello said that she could see some kids vomiting in her front yard while others were falling out of cars. She stated that the party was unsupervised since no guardian would allow this to get out of hand in such a drastic way.
This unfaithful night was about to take an even darker turn.
How Did a Teen Die on Halloween?
The neighbors called authorities due to the increasing nuisance at the Halloween party. When the police checked on them at 9 p.m., they couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Since they couldn’t pin any illegal activity as the teens began leaving, the police left as well.
But 40 minutes later, they received another call. And this time, the scene was far more harrowing than imaginable.
They found a body lying near 194th Street and Via Del Rancho Road. After the preliminary investigation, they deduced that the teen was brutally assaulted, which caused him a brain injury.
He was immediately taken to the Chandler Regional Hospital and later transferred to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. But the young boy couldn’t sustain the injuries, considering the severity of the assault.
According to a few reports, the first responders performed CPR on Preston Lord before he was rushed to the hospital, but they noticed that his heart had already stopped beating.
No arrests have been made as of yet, while the QCPD has urged the people of the community to provide any lead on the perpetrators.
“QCPD is seeking assistance in obtaining any video of subjects or vehicles in the area between Ocotillo/Chandler Heights and Sossaman/Hawes on October 28 between 6 and 10 p.m. related to an assault.”
Even though the police did not disclose the identity of the victim, his details were extracted from the GoFundMe page set up by his family.
So far, the fundraiser has raised $66,000 out of the goal of $75,000.
A heartwrenching post by Preston’s aunt, Melissa, appealed to people to donate for his medical bills and assistance–
“First, thank you from the entire Lord family for all of the prayers, messages, and love everyone has been sending. It is impossible to get back to everyone, but please know the messages are all read and mean so much.”
However, two days later, on October 31, she announced Preston’s passing–
“Our sweet Preston passed away this afternoon surrounded by those that love and are going to miss him so much,” she said. “We have no words for the support and love we have been shown. Thank you for loving us and our boy. As memorial service information unfolds I will be sure to post it.”
Police are on high alert for a steadfast investigation, and if you live in Queen Creek, you can contact them with any information or CCTV footage.
The Halloween parties usually do end up being wild, like David Dobrik’s party, where a bodyguard punched an attendee.
What is your take on this case? Could this have been avoided if there had been proper adult supervision?
Who do you think could be responsible for this assault? Let us know in the comments section below.
