Two suspects arrested in Las Cruces mass shooting at unsanctioned car show at Young Park

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Las Cruces police arrested two suspects in connection with a mass shooting that killed three people and wounded 15 others at a car meetup at Young Park.

Tomas Rivas, 20, and a 17-year-old boy were each arrested Saturday evening, March 22, on three open counts of murder with additional charges pending, Las Cruces police said in a news release Sunday, March 23.

The chaotic shooting erupted about 10 p.m. Friday during an altercation between two groups at an unsanctioned car show attended by about 200 people in the parking lot of Young Park, 850 S. Walnut St. in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Investigators found 40-60 bullet casings at the scene, police said.

Rivas, of Las Cruces, is jailed without bond at the Doña Ana Detention Center. The teen suspect, whose name was not disclosed, was taken to the juvenile detention facility, police said.

Doña Ana County District Attorney Fernando Macias said in a statement that his office is working closely with law enforcement and will move forward with prosecution as quickly and as effectively as possible.

“In spite of this horrific incident, the Las Cruces community remains strong, vibrant, and united. We will face this tragedy together and confront the challenges ahead with resilience and determination,” Macias said.

Victims in Las Cruces mass shooting identified

Police identified the persons killed in the shooting as Andrew “AJ” Madrid, 16, Jason Gomez, 18, and Dominick Estrada, 19.

Madrid and Gomez died at the scene, and Estrada died at MountainView Regional Medical Center in Las Cruces.

Madrid was a sophomore at Centennial High School, where he was a member of the junior varsity baseball team, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.

“More than just a teammate, AJ was a friend, a brother, and a young man whose passion for the game and kind spirit touched so many,” the school’s Hawk Home Run Club stated on a social media post. “His memory will forever live on in our hearts and on the field.”

There were 15 other people injured in the shooting — nine males and six females — ranging in age from 16 to 36 years old, police said on Sunday. Their names are not being disclosed by police.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Las Cruces, with seven transported to hospitals in El Paso, including the University Medical Center of El Paso. The medical condition of the survivors was not available.

An investigation into the shooting continued on Sunday by Las Cruces police with assistance from the FBI, New Mexico State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other agencies.

‘Heartbroken and horrified’

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement that she will call back the state legislature for a special session to address what she called “New Mexico’s crime crisis.” The state needs to do more to find solutions to juvenile crime, gun violence and their root causes, the governor said.

“The indiscriminate nature of this shooting is both shocking and unacceptable, but sadly not surprising. This violence tears at the fabric of our communities and leaves wounds that may never heal,” Lujan Grisham said.

Lujan Grisham was “heartbroken and horrified by the mass shooting,” she stated. “My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and the entire Las Cruces community during this unimaginably difficult time.”

There has been a “disturbing rise in violent crime in Las Cruces,” including the stabbing death of Las Cruces police Officer Jonah Hernandez by a mentally ill homeless man with a kitchen knife during a trespassing call at a business last year. The assailant was fatally shot by a witness.

“This is not merely a statistic; these are our neighbors, our children, our future,” Lujan Grisham said.

Daniel Borunda may be reached at [email protected] and @BorundaDaniel on X. Tim Archuleta contributed to this report.