A mass shooting in central Las Cruces killed three and injured 15 Friday evening during a car meet. Four people have been arrested.
Just shortly after 10 p.m. on Friday night, police and emergency crews responded to reports of gunfire at Young Park, located at the corner of Lohman Avenue and South Walnut Street in Las Cruces. Videos circulating on social media showed people running to escape the gunfire. Some took cover underneath their vehicles.
The gunshot victims range in age from 16-36 years-old and were taken to local hospitals. A spokesman for Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces told The Round Up the hospital took a total of six victims. However, five of those were subsequently flown out to University Medical Center in El Paso.
Sunday afternoon, Las Cruces Police confirmed they arrested four suspects: 20-year-old Tomas Rivas, two 17-year-olds, and a 15-year-old, whose names have not been released. All suspects have been charged with three open counts of murder, with additional charges pending. Rivas is being held without bond at Doña Ana County Detention Center and the other three suspects are incarcerated at the juvenile section of the same facility.
Those killed were 19-year-old Dominick Estrada, 18-year-old Jason Gomez, and 16-year-old Andrew Madrid. Both Madrid and Gomez died on the scene and Estrada was transported to MountainView Regional Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
Chief of Las Cruces Police Jeremy Story cleared up some circulating information about a potential suspect at a press conference early Saturday morning.
Images circulating on social media showed a young man carrying and pointing an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle during the car meet. However, Story mentioned that while this was concerning, the man was interviewed by police and was not suspected to be involved in the shooting.
Officials said bullet casings have been found around the perimeter where the shooting took place, which have been noted to be from a handgun – not a semi-automatic rifle. Police attributed the shooting to have stemmed from a conflict between two groups that escalated.
During the press conference, Chief Story also praised the efforts from first responders and acknowledged the toll the event has taken on the community.
“This is huge crime scene with a lot of moving parts,” he said. “It will take time to process it thoroughly and re-open everything.”
In response to the shooting, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham released a statement where she offered condolences for those involved. She also asked the New Mexico State legislature to act. However, the 2025 session adjourned on Saturday.
“The indiscriminate nature of this shooting is both shocking and unacceptable, but sadly not surprising,” Grisham said. “This violence tears at the fabric of our communities and leaves wounds that may never heal.
The governor referenced the significant rate of violent crime in Las Cruces, which has risen by 46% since last year. In Feb. 2024, a Las Cruces police officer was stabbed to death in the line of duty while responding to a call.
The governor said the rise in crime should not just be viewed as a statistic, but rather a catalyst for action.
“The devastating loss of Officer Jonah Hernandez in Las Cruces last year, and now this mass shooting, underscore the legislature’s years-long failure to address the crime crisis shattering lives and communities in our state,” she said. “New Mexicans are heartbroken, and they should also be outraged that their legislature will adjourn today without having a passed a single bill to address juvenile crime or ban assault weapons. Their inaction is appalling and unacceptable.”
You can view LCPD’s full press conference by clicking on this link. Las Cruces Police are asking anyone who has more information to call (575) 526-0795 or to upload any video of the shooting to an online portal.
The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico has also established a fundraising campaign to help the victims of the shooting.
Young Park and its surrounding roads were closed until Sunday morning to allow investigators to conduct their investigation, but have since reopened.
This is a developing story. The Round Up will provide updates as they become available.
