Crime
Two Suspects Tomas Rivas and 17-year-old male Arrested in connection to Las Cruces Mass Shooting
Las Cruces police have arrested two individuals in connection with the deadly mass shooting at Young Park on Friday night.
Nathan Giovani Rivas and Tomas Rivas-Hidalgo Arrested in Connection to Las Cruces Mass Shooting
Authorities confirmed the arrests of 20-year-old Tomas Rivas and a 17-year-old male suspect on Saturday evening.
Both individuals have been charged with three open counts of murder, with additional charges expected as the investigation progresses.
Rivas is being held without bond at the Doña Ana County Detention Center, while the juvenile suspect has been remanded to a juvenile detention facility.
Law enforcement officials emphasized that the investigation remains active, with authorities continuing to pursue leads.
The victims who tragically lost their lives in the shooting have been identified as Andrew Madrid, 16; Jason Gomez, 18; and Dominick Estrada, 19.
Madrid and Gomez were pronounced dead at the scene, while Estrada was transported to MountainView Regional Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
In total, 15 other victims—nine males and six females, ranging in age from 16 to 36—were wounded in the incident.
Their names have not been publicly released to protect their privacy.
Several victims were transported to local hospitals, with seven later transferred to medical facilities in El Paso, Texas. Their current conditions remain unknown.
Las Cruces police, in coordination with the FBI, ATF, New Mexico State Police, the Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to the shooting.
Authorities have officially confirmed that Gabriel Rickman is not connected to the incident. Following an investigation, Rickman was interviewed by detectives and cleared of any involvement.
Police also addressed concerns surrounding an image circulating on social media, which depicted a teenager holding what appeared to be an AR-style rifle.
Officials confirmed that ballistic evidence at the scene did not support any connection between that firearm and the shooting.
A forensic analysis of approximately 50 to 60 shell casings recovered at the scene determined that all were discharged from handguns, with no evidence of an AR-style rifle being used.
During a press conference on Saturday, Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story reiterated that all recovered shell casings were from handguns.
He also confirmed that an individual seen in the social media post with a rifle was interviewed and is not currently a suspect.
The shooting occurred shortly after 10 p.m. on Friday, March 21, 2025, in the parking lot of Young Park, located at 850 S. Walnut St. Officers and emergency responders arrived on the scene following multiple reports of gunfire and gunshot victims.
As of Saturday evening, Young Park remains closed as authorities continue to collect evidence. Nearby roads are also restricted to traffic while the investigation remains ongoing.
Las Cruces police urge anyone with information related to the shooting to come forward. Individuals who were present at Young Park during the incident and have relevant photos or videos are encouraged to submit them to a secure site for review.
Crime
Mustapha Kharbouch Now-Deleted 2024 Manifesto Published in Institute for Palestine Studies Recovered
Brown University has removed multiple online references to student activist Mustapha Kharbouch in the days following a deadly campus shooting, a move that has drawn public attention amid heightened online speculation—despite law enforcement officials confirming that no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the investigation.
Archived versions of Brown University webpages show that Kharbouch, a first-year student at the time, was previously listed in several university-affiliated roles, including as a student assistant and Cultural Programming Coordinator connected to the Global Brown Center.
His academic interests were described as focusing on International and Public Affairs and Anthropology, with involvement in Middle East–focused academic, cultural, and student programming.
Those pages are no longer accessible, and Kharbouch’s social media accounts have also been deactivated.
A verified buyer from the United States with the name “Mustapha K.” reviewed a 9MM muzzle brake through the Wing Tactical website on December 29th, 2024 — the same caliber used in the Brown shooting.
There are approximately a few hundred people in the entire United States with that first name + last initial combination.
University officials have not issued a public explanation for the removal of the online profiles.
The changes occurred as online speculation intensified in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with social media users circulating screenshots of archived university pages and past writings associated with Kharbouch.
Among the materials resurfaced by online users was a 2024 essay authored by Kharbouch and published by the Institute for Palestine Studies as part of a special student essay series titled Genocide in Gaza: Student Essays — Brown University Encampment 2024.
The essay, titled “I Hear the Voice of My Ancestors Calling: From the Camps to the Campus,” was published on August 13, 2024, months before the shooting. The piece is a first-person reflective essay examining Palestinian identity, intergenerational memory, student activism, and questions of hope amid displacement, war, and protest.
The article includes poetic excerpts adapted from “Ancestors Song,” a chant popularized during student-led Palestine solidarity actions at Brown University, and documents Kharbouch’s participation in campus organizing efforts, including sit-ins, hunger strikes, rallies, and the Brown Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
The essay situates these experiences within a broader discussion of decolonial thought, feminist theory, and Palestinian history, including reflections on the 1948 Nakba and the author’s family history as a third-generation stateless Palestinian refugee raised in Lebanon.
The content of the essay is ideological, autobiographical, and academic in nature.
There is no reference to violence on campus, nor any indication of intent or planning related to criminal activity.
The Institute for Palestine Studies has not issued any statement suggesting the piece is under review or connected to the shooting.
Despite widespread online conjecture, law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Providence Police, have not named Mustapha Kharbouch as a suspect or person of interest, and have publicly stated that there is no evidence linking him to the shooting.
Investigators have emphasized that the case remains active and that conclusions are being guided strictly by verified evidence.
Authorities have cautioned against drawing inferences from online speculation, warning that unsubstantiated claims can compromise investigations and cause undue harm to individuals not implicated by facts.
Media analysts and campus observers have suggested that Brown University’s decision to remove online references may have been taken as a protective or precautionary measure, particularly as misinformation and harassment proliferated across social media platforms following the attack.
Similar actions have been taken by institutions in other high-profile incidents to limit doxxing, targeted harassment, or the misinterpretation of publicly available biographical information during periods of heightened tension.
Brown University has not confirmed whether the removals were temporary, administrative, or safety-related in nature.
Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on confirmed information released by law enforcement and to avoid amplifying unverified narratives.
As of the most recent update, no arrests have been announced, no individuals have been publicly identified as suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with credible information related to the shooting has been asked to contact investigators directly.