LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) – Three people were killed and 15 others were injured in what police in southern New Mexico are calling a mass shooting. Among the dead, was a 16-year-old boy.
Officials say two groups, with a history of problems with each other, showed up to an unsolicited car show. An argument broke out before the shots were fired.
“Today, we mourn a tragic, a senseless, a horrible event that happened in our city,” said Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez. On Friday night, the Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) says around 200 people gathered at Young Park near Lohman Avenue and I-25 for an unsanctioned car show.
Around 10:00 p.m., a fight broke out between two groups with gunshots eventually ringing out, killing three people and injuring another 15. The three killed were a 19-year-old, an 18-year-old, and a 16-year-old boy.
“Officers arrived on the scene and began treating people immediately while trying to deal with the chaos of that situation. Bystanders, some of them had already started administering treatment,” said Chief Jeremy Story with LCPD.
While police say most of the shots appear to have been fired from the parking lot, they estimate between 50 to 60 handgun casings have been collected. “This senseless act is a stark reminder of the blatant disregard people in New Mexico have for the rule of law and order. It’s also a reminder of the utter lack of fear and accountability in New Mexico,” continued Chief Story.
He said his department has had problems in the park before and unsolicited car shows have also brought crime problems. “That area’s been trouble with crime more so in recent years,” Chief Story said. “They’ve kind of ebbed and flowed, partly with weather and other things. They’ve become an issue and dealt with, done some projects, they become less of an issue and then they pop back up again. Definitely a problem.”
Chief Story says LCPD did not have a presence at the park at the time because the department did not have the units available. While he says there is typically no problem with people gathering, it’s what happens during these events where his concern lies.
“If they were just gathering and nothing was occurring that was illegal, I have no problem with that. The problem is, what tends to occur is a lot of illegal behavior with the vehicles and then also, in this case, there were firearms throughout this entire event. Some that were used in the shooting and just people with firearms willie-nilly,” said Chief Story.
The FBI, ATF, NMSP, and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department are also helping in the investigation. “Our next focus is the apprehension of those involved and those responsible for this atrocity. We will find each and every one of them and we will hold them accountable to the criminal justice system,” said Chief Story.
The age of those injured ranges from 16 to 36, with several of them already released from the hospital. Police have yet to make an arrest and are asking anyone with video or photos to send it to them. People can donate to the Las Cruces Crisis Action Fund.