In the quiet city of Las Cruces, New Mexico, a sense of sorrow and disbelief has settled over the community following a tragic mass shooting that claimed the lives of three young men and left more than a dozen others wounded. The incident, which unfolded in the parking lot of Young Park on the night of Friday, March 21, 2025, has now led to the arrest of a fourth suspect, intensifying the city’s search for answers and justice. On Sunday, March 23, at approximately 12:20 p.m., Las Cruces police apprehended a 15-year-old male, charging him with three open counts of murder. This arrest follows the earlier detentions of Tomas Rivas-Hidalgo, 20, Adrian Rivas-Hidalgo, 17, and Gustavo Dominguez, 17, all of whom face identical murder charges tied to the deadly event. As the investigation deepens, authorities anticipate additional charges may emerge, reflecting the complexity and gravity of the case.
The three victims, identified as Andrew Madrid, 16, Jason Gomez, 18, and Dominick Estrada, 19, were vibrant young individuals whose lives were cut short in an instant. Madrid and Gomez were pronounced dead at the scene, their bodies discovered amid the chaos of the park’s parking lot. Estrada, gravely injured, was rushed to MountainView Regional Medical Center, where medical staff fought to save him. Despite their efforts, he succumbed to his wounds, adding to the mounting toll of loss. Beyond the fatalities, the shooting left 15 others injured, their ages spanning from 16 to 36, a mix of nine males and six females. The Las Cruces Police Department has withheld their identities to safeguard their privacy, though the impact of their injuries reverberates through the tight-knit community. Seven of the wounded were later transferred to hospitals in El Paso, Texas, for advanced care, though updates on their conditions remain scarce as families and friends hold vigil.
The arrests paint a troubling picture of youth entangled in violence. Tomas Rivas-Hidalgo, the oldest of the suspects, has been booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond, a reflection of the severity of the accusations against him. His younger counterparts—Adrian Rivas-Hidalgo, Gustavo Dominguez, and the unnamed 15-year-old—have been placed in juvenile detention facilities, their fates now resting in the hands of the justice system. The investigation, bolstered by a coalition of law enforcement agencies including the FBI, ATF, New Mexico State Police, the Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, is working tirelessly to piece together the events that led to this eruption of gunfire. Young Park, typically a place of recreation and respite at 850 S. Walnut St., became a scene of horror shortly after 10 p.m. that Friday night, when police and fire personnel arrived to find a parking lot littered with shell casings and victims.
In the days since, authorities have moved swiftly to address misinformation and clarify key details. An image circulating online of a teenager wielding what appeared to be an AR-style rifle sparked speculation, but police have firmly dispelled any connection to the shooting. Ballistic evidence tells a different story: between 50 and 60 shell casings recovered at the scene were traced to handguns, with no indication of an automatic rifle’s involvement. During a news conference on Saturday morning, LCPD Chief Jeremy Story emphasized this finding, noting that all recovered casings pointed to handguns as the weapons used. He also confirmed that Gabriel Rickman, initially questioned in connection with the case, has been cleared of any involvement after a thorough interview with investigators. The individual depicted in the social media post holding a rifle, similarly, has been ruled out as a suspect.
As Las Cruces grapples with the aftermath, Young Park remains shuttered, its gates closed to the public while nearby roads are blocked off to facilitate the ongoing evidence collection. The community, still reeling, is left to mourn the loss of Madrid, Gomez, and Estrada, whose deaths have cast a long shadow over a city unaccustomed to such violence. The collaborative effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement underscores the urgency of the situation, with multiple leads being pursued to uncover the motive and circumstances behind the shooting. For now, the Las Cruces Police Department is calling on anyone with information to come forward, a plea that echoes through a city desperate for closure. The road to healing will be long, but the resolve to seek justice burns brightly amid the grief.