UPDATE: 3 dead, 15 injured in mass shooting at Young Park in Las Cruces

Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News

LAS CRUCES - A mass shooting Friday night at Young Park left three people dead and 15 others injured, Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story said during a press conference Saturday morning.

The shooting happened around 10:10 p.m. at the park, located at 805 Walnut St., during what police called an “unsanctioned car show.”

“The investigation so far reveals that there was an altercation between two groups of people, and that altercation escalated to gunfire between both groups,” Story said. “Several other people were also injured in the crossfire.”

Scene described as chaotic and widespread

Story said officers arrived and began treating victims immediately, despite the chaos.

“Bystanders, some of them, had already started administering treatment,” he said. “Las Cruces Fire arrived very quickly, and they began immediately rendering aid, despite the fact that the scene was not secure yet.”

Casings were found “throughout the park and parking lot,” he said.

“All the casings located so far are handgun caliber casings. There are no rifle casings consistent with an AK or AR-style rifle.”

A photo circulating online of a person holding an AR-15-style weapon is misleading, Story said.

“That person has already been interviewed. At this time, we do not believe he was involved in the shooting.”

Las Cruces Police Lt. Peter Bradley added that “the majority of the shooting did take place in the parking lot,” but cartridge casings were also found “throughout the parking and restroom areas and down towards the streets.”

Police believe multiple firearms were used.

“We don’t know how many firearms, but definitely more than one,” Story said.

Fire chief: 18 total victims, including 3 deceased

Las Cruces Fire Chief Michael Daniels said 25 firefighters responded, along with American Medical Response and Native Air.

“As Chief Story said, we have 18 total victims,” Daniels said. “Two were pronounced dead on scene. Four were transported locally and one was flown to El Paso for treatment.”

“Three patients are deceased. Seven have been sent from local hospitals to El Paso for further treatment. Four patients have been treated and released,” he added. “We don’t have a status for the remaining four patients at this time.”

Victim ages ranged from 16 to 36, according to a news release referenced by Daniels and previously reported by Organ Mountain News.

No arrests yet; police seek public’s help

“As of right now, there are 15 people that are injured and three that have passed away,” Story said.

“There have not been arrests or anyone detained,” he said. “We have leads that we’re pursuing, but we are also asking the public or anyone that might have information to please provide that to assist us.”

Anyone with relevant video or photos is asked to upload them via a link on the Las Cruces Police Department’s Facebook page. Tips can also be submitted by calling 575-526-0795.

Police, fire praised for response

“I’m very proud of the response of not only our officers, but our firefighters — disregarding their own safety to provide treatment, and ultimately, I believe, saving several lives by rushing in, in spite of the fact that they did not know it was safe to do so,” Story said. “So again, Chief, hats off to your firefighters.”

Young Park known for past incidents

The park has been a longtime focus of law enforcement due to increasing criminal activity in recent years. Las Cruces police have coordinated with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to install gates that close the parking lot at 11 p.m., in line with city ordinance. The shooting, however, occurred before that time.

One of the gates had previously been damaged and was awaiting repair, Story said.

Plans to install surveillance technology in city parks are underway, though the system had not yet been installed at the time of the shooting. Story noted the technology is already funded and will be part of the department’s real-time crime center once deployed.

Car shows a recurring challenge

Unregulated car shows like the one that took place Friday night have been an ongoing concern in Las Cruces, police said. The events tend to fluctuate in frequency, influenced by weather and enforcement, but have remained a persistent problem.

According to Story, gatherings often begin peacefully but can escalate into reckless driving and other illegal behavior. In this case, investigators believe firearms were present throughout the evening, including some that were ultimately used in the shooting.

Policing these events is difficult without sufficient staffing, Story said. Deploying a single officer to disperse large crowds is not a viable option, and responding effectively requires adequate personnel and resources — something the department lacked on the night of the shooting.

Community fundraiser launched

Story said the city and the Las Cruces Police Department are partnering with the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico to support victims.

“They … will be holding a fundraiser for the victims of this incident,” he said. “We’ll have the information on this live feed, and then … on our Facebook page later on today.”

Message to the public

“There are three priorities right now,” Story said. “The first priority is to support the families and loved ones of those who are affected.”

“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,” he said.

“We also need to do a thorough and meticulously documented investigation. This goes hand in hand with holding those people responsible and accountable.”

Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. He can be reached at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or on X at @damienwillis.