In the wake of a series of violent teen attacks in Arizona's East Valley, involving the use of brass knuckles, a Chandler teenager is spearheading a campaign to ban the weapon statewide, after a personal encounter fueled his advocacy, residents and lawmakers are roused to action.
Connor Jarnagan, 17, barely escaped a grave injury when attacked outside a Gilbert In-N-Out in December, ABC15 reported, telling the news outlet, "Luckily, I didn't get knocked out," Jarnagan said that, "I was scared, I was scared for my life," revealing doctors mentioned an inch's difference could have meant paralysis or death. Arizona Sen. John Kavanagh, taken aback by the legality of brass knuckles, is now drafting bill aimed at imposing a statewide ban, noted that cities like Phoenix already prohibit them and insists on a ban for brass knuckles made of any durable material, azfamily.com reports.
As the Gilbert Town Council addressed the uptick in teen violence, community members like Chuck Bongiovanni have rallied behind Jarnagan's initiative, even setting up a website for the public to show their support through a petition, according to ABC15.
With the legislative deadline on the horizon, Kavanagh is hustling to get the brass knuckle ban into this year's session by February 5, Connor’s plea for safety drawing lawmakers' attention to a weapon increasingly involved in teenager’s group assaults, and in his letter to the legislators, Connor was straightforward: "I don't think it’s been a problem in the past, I think it’s a new upcoming of a new type of violence," and with the teenager's compelling case, Kavanagh is optimistic about the bill's swift passage, anticipating bipartisan agreement for the greater good of the community's safety, as noted in Jarnagan's comments retrieved by azfamily.com.
