By Leah Romero
Posted March 27, 2025
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) committed to continue working with local enforcement in Las Cruces in the wake of a mass shooting Friday evening, as well as supporting legislation at the federal level to address gun violence.
Vasquez held a press conference in Las Cruces Sunday where he discussed the shooting that took place during an unsanctioned car show in Young Park, part of his former Las Cruces City Council district, which left three people dead and 15 injured. Las Cruces police announced arrests over the weekend: – a 15-year-old, two 17-year-olds and 20-year old Tomas Rivas all face charges of three open counts of murder.
“This is my community, this is my city, this is my county,” Vasquez said during the conference. He said the act of violence was a “painful reminder” that the issue of public safety is a systemic challenge.
It’s simple – 16 and 17-year-olds in Las Cruces should not be riding around with firearms.”
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez
“We need to know how it happened, what signs were missed and how we can close those gaps that allowed this violence to unfold,” Vasquez said, adding that more needs to be done to support parents and teens during “this new age” of gun violence. “It’s simple – 16 and 17-year-olds in Las Cruces should not be riding around with firearms, unregulated, nearly in the middle of the night. And yes, the question is where are their parents. But the most important thing as well is: Why do they have access to these firearms in the first place?”
He pointed to legislation he introduced at the federal level called Ethan’s Law, which would establish requirements for safely storing firearms on residential premises if a minor is likely to gain access to the weapon without permission. It would create criminal penalties for violations of the law and would also require the U.S. Department of Justice to award grants to implement requirements for safe firearm storage at the state and tribal level. New Mexico enacted a similar law in 2024, called the Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety Act, which requires gun owners to safely store firearms.
When asked about supporting the car community following the shooting, Vasquez told members of the media that city and county law enforcement need to work together to ensure sufficient security at events like the one that preceded the shooting, despite being unsanctioned.
He said Las Cruces’ budget funds over 200 officers in the city now, but recruitment efforts need to increase.
“Our police department here is stretched very thin. They have a lot of places to be and they have high priority calls that they need to attend to, and these car meetups unfortunately are not something new, they happen all the time.”
He noted the Invest to Protect Act he introduced in Congress, which would direct the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to award grants to local governments with fewer than 200 law enforcement officers to improve recruitment and retention as well as fund deescalation training.
Leah Romero is a Las Cruces-based reporter placed with Source New Mexico through the New Mexico Local News Fellowship. This article is republished from Source New Mexico under a Creative Commons license. Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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