3 arrested in shooting at New Mexico park that killed 3, injured at least 15
Police say they have arrested three suspects in Friday's mass shooting at a park in Las Cruces, New Mexico, which left three people dead and at least 15 others injured.
The suspects - 20-year-old Tomas Rivas and a 17-year-old boy - were each charged with three open counts of murder, Las Cruces Police
announced
Sunday morning. "Open murder" means prosecutors can pursue charges of manslaughter or murder in the first or second degree, and the specific level of culpability will be decided later. Additional charges were pending against Rivas and the boy, police said.
Later Sunday, a third suspect - a 17-year-old boy - was arrested, police said. He also faces three open counts of murder.
Las Cruces Police identified the deceased as Andrew Madrid, 16; Jason Gomez, 13; and Dominick Estrada, 19. Madrid and Gomez died at the scene, according to police. Estrada died at the hospital. The surviving group of injured individuals included nine men and six women, whose ages ranged from 16 to 36. Police said they would not be releasing their names publicly.
Police on Saturday asked bystanders to share videos and other tips as they investigated the shooting, which occurred at about 10 p.m. local time on Friday in the desert city's Young Park, a music and recreation venue. Police said there were approximately 200 people at the park during the incident. Several were injured in cross-fire.
Multiple firearms were involved in the shooting, Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story said at a news conference on Saturday, and 50-60 bullet casings were found.
Gunshot victims were sent to all three local hospitals, as well as to the University Medical Center of El Paso, the regional trauma center, according to police and hospital officials. Six patients arrived at Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces by ambulance and private car, said marketing and communications director Andrew Cummins and seven of those have been transported to El Paso.
Four have been treated and released, said Las Cruces Fire Chief Michael Daniels at the news conference.
In a
post to Instagram
on Saturday, Las Cruces City Councilor and Mayor Pro Tem Johana Bencomo put numbers to the tragedy.
"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 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."
Las Cruces sits on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert along the Rio Grande River in southern New Mexico, about 41 miles north of the U.S.-Mexican border.
The Las Cruces Police Department said police and fire personnel who arrived at the park in response to reports of gunfire are being assisted in their investigation by New Mexico State Police, the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office, the FBI and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Young Park and all roadways leading to the park are temporarily closed as the investigation continues.
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