Rep. Gabe Vasquez Responds to Las Cruces Tragedy with Direct Community Engagement and Calls for Bipartisan Action

LAS CRUCES, NM - Following the tragic mass shooting at Young Park in Las Cruces that claimed the lives of three teenagers and left 15 others injured, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) has spent the past several days engaging directly with victims, families, first responders, counselors, and community leaders to provide support, understand local needs, and advocate for bipartisan solutions to address youth violence.

On Sunday, March 23, Rep. Vasquez hosted a press conference in downtown Las Cruces to condemn the violence, praise the swift response of first responders, and call for bipartisan efforts to tackle the root causes of juvenile crime. That same day, he attended multiple vigils honoring the victims, standing with grieving families and community members.

On Monday, March 24, the Congressman visited Centennial High School, where one of the victims, AJ, was a student. He met with high school counselors to check in on students and staff and to listen to the mental health challenges they face in the wake of the tragedy.

Later that day, Rep. Vasquez toured the Victim Response Center at the Las Cruces Convention Center, meeting with local service providers and state agency partners coordinating mental health, legal, and emergency support for affected families.

Today, Tuesday, March 25, Rep. Vasquez continued his engagement by hosting a roundtable discussion with high school counselors from across the Las Cruces Public Schools district at Mayfield High School, followed by a meeting with First Responders who were on the frontlines of last Friday's crisis.

Throughout his visits, Rep. Vasquez has reiterated his commitment to:

• Advocating for safe firearm storage laws, such as the federal Ethan's Law, to keep guns out of the hands of minors.
  
• Supporting increased funding for local police departments and mental health services in schools and communities.

"This isn't just about what happened last Friday," Vasquez said. "It's about what we do next-to protect our kids, support our educators and first responders, and build a safer future for every family in southern New Mexico."

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