A jury has found the second suspect tried for the Las Cruces Young Park shooting that killed three people and injured 15 others: guilty of murder on all counts.
On Wednesday, Jurors in the trial for 18-year-old Nathan Rivas– just like his older brother, 21-year-old Tomas Rivas– found him guilty on three counts of murder in the first degree for his role in the shooting, which happened on March 21, 2025, during an unsanctioned car meet.
Each count for those killed: 19-year-old Dominick Estrada, 16-year-old Andrew Madrid and 18-year-old Jason Gomez.
According to the Dona Ana County District Attorney’s Office, jurors found Nathan Rivas guilty under the theory of “depraved mind murder,” determining that Nathan’s actions showed a “total and deadly indifference to the value of human life.”
Even though Nathan Rivas was 17 years old at the time of the shooting, he was tried as an adult.
According to the Dona Ana County DA, sentencing for Nathan Rivas will be scheduled by the Court after a pre-sentence report is completed, adding that Nathan Rivas faces a life sentence for each count of first-degree murder.
Following the verdict, DA Fernando Macias released the following written statement saying that the verdict shows the community is fed up with gun violence:
A community is ultimately defined by what it refuses to tolerate. When a jury returns a verdict this decisively, it is a voice declaring, with absolute clarity, that this outrageous behavior will not be tolerated. Our community will not tolerate this level of violence. The loss of Dominick, Andrew, and Jason remains a profound and lasting wound on the soul of our city. But with each step toward accountability, we are slowly repairing the fabric of our community. We are reaffirming our shared commitment to a future where our children can live, gather, and thrive free from the paralyzing fear of gun violence.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Spencer Willson, who prosecuted the case with Macias, also released a written statement, noting how fast the jury reached the verdict:
The sheer speed of this verdict speaks volumes. It took this jury less only an hour to look at the facts and recognize the absolute, reckless disregard for human life that occurred at Young Park. Accountability is not optional in our community. If you participate in bringing this kind of devastating violence into our public spaces, you will face the absolute full weight of the justice system. We stand firmly with the Estrada, Madrid, and Gomez families today, and we will not rest until every individual responsible for this tragedy answers for their crimes.
On Monday, Feb. 16, Tomas Rivas was found guilty on three counts of murder in the first degree.
The remaining trials for the remaining two suspects are scheduled to begin:
- Gustavo Dominguez – July 1
- Josiah Ontiveros – April 1