By The Epoch Times | Created at 2025-03-22 17:40:46 | Updated at 2025-04-04 19:09:41
1 week ago
Gunfire erupted during a burnout competition at a Las Cruses park, sending the crowd fleeing, according to footage circulating on social media.
A mass shooting at a city park in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Friday night left three people dead and at least 14 others injured, police said.
The shooting broke out shortly after 10 p.m. on March 21 at Young Park, where officers and emergency responders arrived to find multiple gunshot victims near the parking lot, according to the Las Cruces Police Department. Most of the victims were transported to local hospitals, while others were taken to University Medical Center in El Paso.
Authorities confirmed that two 19-year-old men and a 16-year-old boy were killed. The identities of the victims have not been released. Police said the injured range in age from 16 to 36.
Footage circulating on social media appears to show a crowd gathered at what looked like a burnout competition moments before gunfire erupted, sending people running for cover.
Police said they are actively following multiple leads but have yet to identify any suspects or make arrests. Investigators are asking anyone with information or video of the shooting to come forward.
In a statement posted to social media on Saturday, Las Cruces City Councilor and Mayor Pro Tem Johana Bencomo shared her grief and frustration.
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“Part of me wanted to write that this is something you never really think this is going to happen in your city, but that actually feels deeply untrue,” she wrote. “Honestly now days [sic] a tragedy like this feels like a nightmare just waiting to come true at any possible moment, yet also always praying and hoping it never will.”
“As with all acts of gun violence in our city and beyond, my heart is broken for the victims and families impacted,” she continued. “This was a heinous act of violence that will leave our city mourning.”
The Las Cruces Police Department said it is is being assisted in the investigation by multiple agencies, including the New Mexico State Police, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office.
Young Park and nearby roadways remain temporarily closed as police continue to process the scene. Authorities have asked the public to avoid the area.
There’s was an uptick in violent crime in Las Cruces in 2024, according to preliminary police data. Criminal homicide and negligent manslaughter was up 70 percent year-over-year, rape up 31 percent, and aggravated assault up 28 percent.
