This story was originally published in the Albuquerque Journal.
A Las Cruces man and an unidentified 17-year-old are in custody, each facing three open counts of murder, following a deadly gun battle Friday night at Young Park that left three dead and more than a dozen injured.
Las Cruces police announced the arrests early Sunday morning and said additional charges were pending as the investigation continues.
Tomas Rivas, 20, was booked into Doña Ana County Detention Center. Jail records indicate he was arrested early Sunday morning, around 2:50 a.m., at a residence on the north side of Las Cruces. Court records show no prior criminal history for Rivas in New Mexico. He has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
A 17-year-old boy, unidentified because he is a minor, will be remanded to a juvenile detention facility, police said.
Police did not say whether additional suspects or persons of interest were being sought.
The shooting rocked a city that has not seen violence on this scale since an unsolved mass murder at a local bowling alley 35 years ago that claimed five lives.
The Young Park shooting came at the end of a legislative session in Santa Fe, where Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham tore into lawmakers for not doing enough to address juvenile crime. The governor said a special session to address the issue was likely.
Gunfire erupted a little after 10 p.m. Friday amid a gathering of hundreds of people at an unsanctioned car show, injuring 15 people between the ages of 16 and 36, and killing three. The deceased were identified Sunday as Dominick Estrada, 19; Jason Gomez, 18; and Andrew “AJ” Madrid, 16. Police have not released the names of those injured.
“Nothing really felt off, it was like a normal night,” Christian Salas told the Journal. The 18-year-old was at the park showing off his lowered ’98 Chevy truck, accompanied by his younger brother. As shots erupted, the two ran for cover inside the park; neither was hurt.
Salas said the presence of guns is nothing unusual at the gatherings, even to hear shots fired into the air, but the displays were generally for show. “It gets pretty big, pretty rowdy and reckless. … For them to actually hit someone is truly something new.”
The investigation at Young Park continued into Saturday night. Officers recovered dozens of casings throughout the park and parking area, cordoning off the entire perimeter of the park and a portion of Walnut Street.
Las Cruces police are leading the investigation with the assistance of New Mexico State Police, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Explosives, the 3rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat who represents the area, will hold a press conference addressing the shooting Sunday afternoon in downtown Las Cruces — and a vigil honoring victims, survivors and their loved ones is planned Sunday evening at a local church.
The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico has established a fundraising initiative for the victims.