Maricopa County attorney: Stop posting teen violence videos

By Ignacio Ventura
Published: Sunday, March 17, 2024 - 9:05am

Rachel Mitchell
Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell discusses her views on a study ordered by Gov. Katie Hobbs of how the death penalty is implemented and a parallel stay on seeking executions by Attorney General Kris Mayes in a press conference on Jan. 24, 2023.

The beating death of 16-year-old Preston Lord at a party in Queen Creek last October has brought intense scrutiny to teen violence in the southeast Valley.

In the months between the fatal attack and the recent arrest of seven suspects, recordings of similar assaults have been widely shared on social media.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell recently took to social media herself, urging the public to stop posting the videos.

“Instead of putting those videos on social media, call the police and let them know of the fight. Call the police that are over the jurisdiction where the fight took place if you know it," she said.

Mitchell also reminds everyone that Arizona has a mandatory reporting law, requiring parents and school personnel to report violence involving minors to the police.

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