Overview
- Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell held a news conference on June 4 warning of a rise in violent incidents involving teens and saying her office is stepping up prosecutions to address the trend.
- Since Preston’s Law took effect in late 2025 the county has charged 63 people under the new 'swarming' felony, with more than half of those charges brought against juveniles and 21 juvenile swarming charges filed since April.
- Prosecutors reported that 150 underage defendants were charged as adults last year, with most cases involving violent crimes and guns, including first-degree murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault.
- Police describe a pattern of rapid, mobile group gatherings organized on social media and using e-bikes that can escalate into assaults and evade conventional patrol tactics, and Queen Creek reported a 107% rise in juvenile disturbance and e-bike calls earlier this year.
- High-profile active cases — an 18-year-old’s not-guilty plea in the Buckeye shooting, the Desert Sky Mall homicide investigation and Surprise ambush prosecutions — highlight ongoing probes, the human toll on victims and families, and officials’ calls for parental and community action as summer begins.