Town of Gilbert, Arizona, has been ranked among the many high ten locations within the U.S. to lift kids.
The small city, primarily a rich suburb of Phoenix, is dwelling to 290,000 residents the place nearly one third of the inhabitants are below the age of 18.
A survey by Wallethub ranked Gilbert because the sixth greatest place within the nation to lift a household in 2024.
The positioning checked out greater than 180 cities throughout the nation utilizing 45 key metrics deemed essential for elevating a household together with housing prices, healthcare, the standard of its faculties and leisure actions.
However the metropolis holds a darkish secret, with a younger gang working rampant within the space.
Town of Gilbert, Arizona has been ranked among the many high ten locations within the U.S. to lift children
A road gang dubbed the ‘Gilbert Goons’ has plagued the Phoenix suburbs by attacking youngsters and robbing shops
As soon as billed because the nation’s second-safest metropolis, Gilbert has been in nationwide information for all of the flawed causes with teen delinquents who’ve been terrorizing the group since 2022.
The Gilbert Goons are identified for recording blitz-style assaults in parks, parking garages, outdoors fast-food eating places and at home events.
After finishing up the assaults on unsuspecting individuals, they then put up the movies on social media.
Victims and residents within the space have described the group as principally white, upper-middle-class youngsters from a number of East Valley excessive faculties.
Their assaults appeared unmotivated and have been usually recorded and shared by the attackers themselves.
A number of lawsuits have been filed claiming that regulation enforcement and college officers allowed the Goons to proceed unleashing their violence since as least 2022.
The small city, primarily a rich suburb of Phoenix, is dwelling to 290,000 residents the place nearly one third of the inhabitants are below the age of 18
Following a months-long investigation into the group, Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg confirmed final month that the group capabilities as an organized legal entity
The Goons’ reign of terror: DailyMail.com can reveal how the gang of kids ran amok within the Arizona city earlier than Preston Lord’s demise in October
The kids’ reign of violence, which allegedly included armed robberies and dozens of assaults at events and in parking heaps culminated with the deadly beating of Preston Lord, 16
Final month, the group of younger males who’ve been terrorizing Phoenix suburbs, have been lastly been designated as a legal road gang.
The kids’ reign of violence, which allegedly included armed robberies and dozens of assaults at events and in parking heaps – a number of with brass knuckles – culminated with the deadly beating of 16-year-old Preston Lord at a Halloween occasion final yr.
Following a months-long investigation into the gang, embattled Gilbert police chief Michael Soelberg confirmed that the group capabilities as an organized legal entity.
Town’s police chief defined the Goons have been categorized as a ‘hybrid gang,’ due to their reliance on social media, its members are usually not of the identical race and it has a ‘lax or absent’ code of conduct.
In response to police, the Goons lack facets of a standard gang, together with outlined management and guidelines, particular use of symbols and colours, and lifelong commitments.
Goons suspects Treston Billie and Jacob Meisner are named in Kuehner’s lawsuit after a number of assault arrests in Gilbert. They’re each additionally accused with Lord’s homicide
A survey by Wallethub ranked Gilbert as sixth greatest place within the nation to lift a household in 2024
Sarah Williams, proper, and April Gould conduct an internet goat yoga class in Gilbert
Gilbert is claimed to be a very welcoming city for households
The Goons have been concerned in not less than 95 assaults in 18 assaults, most in Gilbert, as reported by the Arizona Republic.
Police Chief Michael Soelberg beforehand informed DailyMail.com his division has made 29 arrests in connection to assaults.
Regardless of nationwide information about teen violence in Gilbert, in Could Chief Soelberg denied teen violence was significantly dangerous within the space.
He stated: ‘General, Gilbert is a secure group, however we’re not resistant to the issues that we have seen all through the nation, so we’re no completely different than anyone else.
‘We’re a big group with almost 300,000 individuals, and inside our group we’ve got 80,000 youngsters and youthful. And so when you’ve gotten that many children, you are certain to have some battle amongst teenagers and that is what we see nationwide.’
However extra movies of sweet sixteen assaults and claims made by alleged victims concerning the Goons reign of terror have been shared with police following the deadly beating of Lord, at a Halloween occasion in October in close by Queen Creek.
Seven teenagers and younger males, together with a number of Goons suspects, have been charged along with his homicide, sparking accusations from some in the neighborhood who consider the alleged killers ought to have been faraway from the streets way back.
