Police say three people were killed and at least 14 people were injured in a park shooting in Las Cruces, New Mexico on Friday night.
Among the deaths were three men, two 19 and 16-year-old men, police said. The injured were between 16 and 36 years old.
The shooting occurred around 10pm Friday near a parking lot at Young Park, police said on social media.
Officers arrived and found multiple people with gunshot wounds. They were sent to hospitals, including the University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas.
Andrew Cummins, a spokesman for Las Luces Memorial Medical Center, said six patients had suffered gunshot wounds at the center, five of which had flew from the medical center to El Paso.
Witnesses said the shooting took place at monthly gatherings, with modified sports car drivers showing off them.
They said about 200 people gathered for the event. They explained that they saw an argument before the shots rang out and people started to run away. At least one man had what appeared to be an assault-style weapon, an eyewitness said.
“They've just started filming and they've just started driving around everyone,” said 20-year-old Angel Legspie, whose parked car was hit by a bullet. The shooting was indiscriminate and “like everywhere,” he said.
Manuel Urbina, a visit to Wyoming, came to the park to check out the city's car scene. He said things are calm, except for the occasional squeal of the non-slip cars and the roars of its engines. He then heard the shot.
“People were running everywhere,” he said. “We all started running, and then I saw a young man laid out on the ground.”
Police said they have not identified the suspect or possible motives.
“We are still trying to identify who the shooters and who the shooters are,” Las Cruces city spokesperson Danny Trujillo said earlier Saturday.
Police have asked anyone who has videos or images of the event, especially those who have shots and firearms, to submit them.
“Part of me wanted to write that this is something you don't really think will happen in your city, but I feel that it's not really true,” Mayor's protem Johanna Bencomo Bencomo wrote on social media. “This was a heinous act of violence that mourned our city.”
The situation of the shootings in Las Luces remains unknown, but New Mexico has struggled with violent crimes in recent years.
The violent crime rate was twice the national average in 2023, according to the State Council of Justice Center. Democrat Governor Michel Lejean Grisham makes fighting crime a priority.
Lasluces was the flashpoint for debate over state crimes when officer Jonah Hernandez was stabbed to death after police officer Jonah Hernandez responded to a call to trespass.
By August 2024, violent crime in the city had increased by 46% compared to the same period in 2023.
Isabelle Taft and Michael Coker Reports of contributions.
