LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The Las Cruces Young Park shooting, which resulted in three deaths and 15 injuries, marked the 53rd mass shooting of 2025, which raises the level of concern for gun violence in the United States.
20-year-old Tomas Rivas is one of four suspects arrested in connection to the shooting. Rivas was also arrested in January 2024 and charged with human smuggling and evading arrest. The state of New Mexico issued an order to temporarily deny the release of Rivas.
Gustavo Dominguez, 17, Nathan Giovanni Rivas, 17, and Josiah Ontiveros, 15, were the other three suspects involved in the shooting. The teenagers are being charged with three open counts of murder, with additional charges pending.
Judge Grace B. Duran denied the release of the three during their hearings Tuesday, March 25.
The victims who passed away have been identified as 16-year-old Andrew “A.J.” Madrid, 18-year-old Jason Gomez and 19-year-old Dominick Estrada. Madrid and Gomez died at the scene, while Estrada died after being sent to MountainView Regional Medical Center. Madrid was a sophomore and part of the junior varsity baseball team at Centennial High School.
During a press conference on March 25, Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story said that this tragedy sparked city efforts to make parks safer and more secure for the community by installing cameras. The cameras have been ordered, but the manufacturer will not be able to install them before May.
Story also highlighted that the city is installing gates so that parks will be closed after hours. He also mentioned a park ranger program that can help solve these issues. Police will continue to patrol the parks.
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez is committed to working with local law enforcement after the shooting. During a press conference on March 23, Vasquez pointed to legislation that he introduced at the federal level called Ethan’s Law. This would establish requirements for safely storing firearms on residential premises if a minor is likely to gain access to the weapon without permission.
Local leaders, including Vasquez and Story, have called for the community to come together.
“Tragedies like this present us with two options for our community and our state. It could bring us together and become a catalyst for meaningful change, or it can tear us apart and further divide us,” Story said.
Many residents of the community support the continuation of car meets with better organization.
This tragedy has brought more light on a broader issue involving gun safety in the United States. Whether or not these precautions will lead to changes is still up in the air, but this event has called for change in the community.
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