3 killed and 15 hurt in a shooting at a park in New Mexico’s Las Cruces

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Three people were fatally shot, and 15 others were hurt, after an altercation broke out at a park in the desert city of Las Cruces, police said Saturday.

Police and fire crews arrived at just after 10 p.m. Friday to a chaotic scene at Young Park, where an unauthorized car show had drawn about 200 people, police said in a news conference. Gunshot victims ranging in age from 16 to 36 were treated there or taken to hospitals.

Between 50 and 60 handgun casings were scattered across a wide swath of the park, Police Chief Jeremy Story said, suggesting multiple shooters and multiple weapons among two groups whose “ill will” toward each other are believed to have led to the shootings. Several others were injured in the crossfire, he said.

The dead were identified only as a 16-year-old boy and two men, ages 18 and 19, police said. Their names and those of the other victims were not yet being released.

Local police were being assisted in their investigation by New Mexico State Police, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Las Cruces Fire Chief Michael Daniels said 11 patients were sent to three local hospitals or to University Medical Center of El Paso, the regional trauma center. As of Saturday, he said, seven victims were in El Paso, four had been treated and released and the conditions of the other four were not known.

Authorities are seeking video from the park and tips from those present as they work to identify a suspect or suspects.

“This horrendous, senseless act is a stark reminder of the blatant disregard people in New Mexico have for the rule of law and order,” Story said. He vowed that authorities will find everyone responsible and said, “We will hold them accountable to the criminal justice system.”

Story acknowledged that illegal car shows at Young Park are not uncommon and that the police presence has been larger in the past. Understaffing on Friday, he added, meant that he had “no units available for most of the night.”

In an Instagram post Saturday, City Councilor and Mayor Pro Tem Johana Bencomo expressed grief over the shootings.

“Part of me wanted to write that this is something you never really think this is going to happen in your city, but that actually feels deeply untrue,” she said. “Honestly now days a tragedy like this feels like a nightmare just waiting to come true at any possible moment, yet also always praying and hoping it never will.”

Mayor Eric Enriquez called for people to support the victims, their families and the community after the “senseless” event.

“We need to stand strong. We need to come together,” he said.

Police were still on the scene Saturday, and the area around the park was closed to traffic, according to local media reports.

“This is a huge crime scene with a lot of moving parts,” Story said. “It will take time to process it thoroughly and reopen everything.”

In the New Mexican capital, Santa Fe, the state Senate held a late-night moment of silence as word of the shootings spread.

The shootings cast a pall over efforts by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the state Legislature to find effective solutions to persistently high crime rates and concerns about gun violence.

Lujan Grisham said she was gripped by sorrow for victims' relatives as well as anger and disappointment that more public safety bills did not make it to her desk before the legislative session closed at noon Saturday.

“We don't have sufficient tools, we are not bringing accountability to these communities,” she said at a news conference. “I'm so sorry for the individuals whose lives are forever changed, for a community that will be shattered.”

Lujan Grisham recently signed off on a package of enhanced penalties for vehicle theft, fentanyl trafficking and school-shooting threats, along with a ban on devices that convert guns to automatic weapons.

Legislators passed an overhaul of the state’s red-flag gun law, under which firearms may be temporarily removed from people who may pose a danger, and bolstered funding for addiction and mental health treatment.

But the governor excoriated legislators for a lack of progress on juvenile justice reforms and highlighted the apparent large number of weapons used in the Las Cruces shootings.

“These tragedies have to end,” she said. “The amount of guns that find their ways into public parks and schools and churches and grocery stores and parties and cars must end.”

Las Cruces sits on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert along the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, about 40 miles (70 kilometers) from the U.S.-Mexico border.

This story has been updated to correct the last name of the police chief to Story, not Strong.

Smyth reported from Columbus, Ohio.

Las Cruces police investigate Friday night's fatal shooting that occurred at Young Park in Las Cruces, N.M., on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Evidence markers are shown in the parking lot at Young Park after Friday night's fatal shooting in Las Cruces, N.M., on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Rosana Colorbio, a resident at the Woodcrest Apartments, talks with the Journal in Las Cruces, N.M., on Saturday, March 22, 2025, as the apartments are located directly across the street from Young Park after Friday night's fatal shooting. (Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Crime scene tape blocks off Young Park after Friday night's fatal shooting in Las Cruces, N.M., on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Crime scene technicians investigate the parking lot at Young Park after Friday night's fatal shooting in Las Cruces, N.M., on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez opens a news conference on Saturday, March 22, 2025, by calling for the community to come together after a deadly mass shooting at Young Park in Las Cruces, N.M. (Justin Garcia/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremey Story speaks at a news conference on March 22, 2025 a day after a mass shooting at Young Park in Las Cruces, N.M. (Justin Garcia/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Crime scene technicians look over the Young Park parking lot after a mass shooting overnight, Saturday, March 22, 2025 in Las Cruces, N.M. (Justin Garcia/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

HANOI, Vietnam--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 24, 2025--

FPT announced it received a SAP ® APJ Award for Partner Excellence 2025 for Regional Strategic Services Partner. Awards were presented by SAP to the top-performing partners in the Asian Pacific Japan (APJ) region that have made outstanding contributions to driving digital transformation for businesses that use SAP solutions. Recipients – in partnership with SAP – help customers adopt innovation, gain results rapidly, grow sustainably, and run more simply with SAP solutions.

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Selected from SAP’s large and diverse partner base, nominations for the SAP Partner Excellence Awards are based on internal SAP sales data. A committee composed of regional and global SAP representatives determine winning partners in each category according to criteria such as sales achievement and performance. Awards are presented in a variety of categories, including overall sales, innovation, technology, services, and solution-specific areas.

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“Partners are integral to SAP’s business,” said Utkarsh Maheshwari, Chief Partner Officer, SAP Asia Pacific. “Over the past year, as SAP doubled down on innovations in Business AI and cloud solutions, our partner ecosystem has also undergone significant evolution to align their capabilities. SAP partners today are increasingly bringing their own unique IP and combining that with SAP’s comprehensive suite of cloud solutions, to help customers of all sizes bring out their best. At this year’s SAP Partner Excellence Award, I am immensely proud of how far our partners have come along with us, and the quality outcomes and value that we’ve unlocked together for our customers. Congratulations to FPT for winning the award.”

FPT's collaboration with SAP dates back to 2003, with many successful joint digital transformation projects across various sectors, including Manufacturing, BFSI, and Energy. In 2023, FPT joined the SAP® Regional Strategic Services Partner (RSSP) initiative, established by SAP Asia Pacific Japan (APJ) to expand the capabilities and reach of established partners in the APJ region. In 2025, FPT established FPT BTP Park, an initiative that aims to accelerate the growth of the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) in Japan.

Over more than two decades of partnership, FPT has received multiple awards from SAP, including SAP Partner of the Year for Vietnam, Outstanding Performance in Midmarket Partner of the Year, and Best RISE Partner of the Year.

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About FPT

FPT Corporation (FPT) is a globally leading technology and IT services provider headquartered in Vietnam and operates in three core sectors: Technology, Telecommunications, and Education. Over more than three decades, FPT has consistently delivered impactful solutions to millions of individuals and tens of thousands of organizations worldwide. Committed to elevating Vietnam’s position on the global tech map and delivering world-class solutions for global enterprises, the Corporation focuses on five strategic areas: Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Semiconductor, Digital Transformation, and Green Transformation. In 2024, FPT reported a total revenue of USD 2.47 billion and a workforce of over 54,000 employees across its core businesses. For more information about FPT's global IT services, please visit https://fptsoftware.com/.

FPT Receives SAP® APJ Partner Excellence Award 2025 for Regional Strategic Services Partner