In a courtroom thick with tension and grief, the fates of three teenagers hung in the balance as a New Mexico judge delivered a resolute decision that reverberated through the community of Las Cruces. On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, Judge Grace B. Duran of the Doña Ana County District Court denied the release of Gustavo Dominguez, 17, Nathan Giovani Rivas, 17, and Josiah Ontiveros, 15, ensuring they remain behind bars following their alleged involvement in a devastating mass shooting at Young Park. The tragedy, which unfolded just days earlier on March 21, claimed the lives of three young men and left 15 others wounded, shattering the sense of safety in a city unaccustomed to such violence.
The scene at Young Park that Thursday evening was one of chaos and heartbreak. Andrew “AJ” Madrid, a 16-year-old known for his infectious smile, Jason Gomez, a 17-year-old with dreams of a future beyond high school, and Dominick Estrada, a 19-year-old on the cusp of adulthood, were gunned down in an act that police say erupted with chilling speed. The Las Cruces Police Department, still piecing together the events, reported that the gunfire left a total of 18 victims, with survivors ranging in age from teenagers to young adults, many still clinging to life in local hospitals. The park, once a place of laughter and community, became a somber marker of loss.
In the courtroom, the weight of that loss was palpable. The three teenage suspects, clad in brown jail-issued jumpsuits, their hands bound by cuffs, entered separately for their detention hearings. Their faces betrayed little emotion as they stole fleeting glances at family members seated in the gallery—loved ones they were barred from speaking to under the strict protocols of the proceedings. Judge Duran, her voice steady yet firm, articulated the gravity of her ruling. “I have a duty to protect this community, and the community is crying for justice,” she said, her words cutting through the silence. She pointed to the undeniable toll—three lives extinguished, 15 others irrevocably altered—and underscored the simmering threat of retaliation that loomed over the case. For these young defendants, she concluded, detention offered not just confinement but a shield from the volatile currents outside.
The charges leveled against Dominguez, Rivas, and Ontiveros are severe: three open counts of murder each, with the possibility of additional accusations, including conspiracy, still under consideration by the 3rd Judicial District Court. A fourth suspect, 20-year-old Tomas Rivas, also faces three murder counts, though his detention hearing has yet to be detailed publicly. District Attorney Fernando Macias, a figure known for his measured resolve, has made clear that his office views this case as a defining moment. “Today’s outcome solidifies my commitment to ensuring that anyone who endangers the safety of our community will face appropriate consequences,” he declared after the hearings. His team presented evidence suggesting that the suspects posed an ongoing danger, a stance that Judge Duran evidently shared.
For the families of the victims, the courtroom offered a muted semblance of solace. They sat in quiet observance, their presence a testament to the lives cut short and the wounds that may never heal. AJ Madrid’s family, in particular, has been vocal in community circles about the need for justice, though they refrained from speaking during the proceedings. Across the aisle, the suspects’ relatives grappled with their own anguish, compounded by threats that have surfaced since the shooting—whispers of vengeance that have heightened the stakes for all involved.
As the legal process moves forward, the three juveniles will remain at the Doña Ana County Detention Center, a facility now tasked with holding them amid a case that has gripped Las Cruces. The community, still reeling, watches closely, its demand for accountability tempered by a lingering question: what drove this eruption of violence? Investigators have hinted at underlying tensions, possibly tied to personal disputes, but definitive answers remain elusive. For now, the focus rests on the courts, where the pursuit of justice promises to be as complex as the tragedy itself.