At least three people were killed and 14 injured in a mass shooting at Young Park in Las Cruces, New Mexico late Friday night, police reported Saturday. Authorities are still searching for suspects or suspects in connection with the attack.
Victims and hospitalization
Victims ranging from 16 to 36 were taken to several hospitals, including the University Medical Center in El Paso, a community trauma center. According to hospital spokesman Andrew Cummins, Las Cruces Memorial Medical Center has accepted six patients, five of which have been moved to El Paso for further treatment.
The deceased victims were identified as two 19-year-old men and a 16-year-old boy. Police have not yet made their names or the names of the injured.
Continuous investigation and information appeal
The Rus Cruce Police are actively investigating the shootings along with the New Mexico State Police, the Donaana County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Authorities urged bystanders to submit videos and information that would help identify the person responsible.
“We are asking people who were in Young Park at the time of the shooting to share footage and details they may have,” a police spokesman said.
Community Response
Councillors Las Cruces and Mayor Pro Tem Johana Bencomo expressed their sadness over the incident in an Instagram post.
“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,” she writes. “To be honest, I feel like today that tragedy like this is waiting to come true at any moment, but I always pray and hope that I will never do that.”
Crime scenes and road closures
As of Saturday morning, the crime scene was still active and the area around Young Park was closed to traffic after a forensic team investigated it.
Las Cruces, a city located on the edge of the Chihuawan Desert along the Rio Grande River in southern New Mexico, is located about 41 miles north of the US-Mexican border.
