Rep. Vasquez Marks One-Year Anniversary of Young Park Shooting, Honors Victims & Calls for Continued Action to Prevent Youth Violence

WASHINGTON, D.C.- On March 20, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02)released the following statement in response to the one-year anniversary of the tragic Young Park shooting in Las Cruces that took the lives of three teenagers and injured 15 others on March 21, 2025.

"It has been one year since this tragic shooting shook Las Cruces, but for many, especially the families who lost loved ones, the pain of March 21, 2025 very much remains. My heart is with every victim, survivor, and loved one still navigating the long road to healing.

We all know violence like this has no place in Las Cruces or any community. Over the past year, I've worked alongside local leaders, educators, law enforcement, and families to take action and help prevent tragedies like this from happening again. That includes securing resources for local law enforcement, expanding access to mental health support for our young people, investing in safe spaces for our kids, holding Big Tech accountable to curb illegal online gun sales on their platforms, and supporting commonsense gun safety measures like Ethan's Law.

Our young people deserve better, and we owe it to them to not just remember, but to act. I remain committed to doing everything in my power to keep our kids safe and build a stronger, safer future for Las Cruces."

After a series of meetings with local law enforcement officials following the Young Park shooting, Rep. Vasquez sent a letterto Big Tech CEOs at Meta, Snapchat, and Telegram demanding that they take action to curb illegal gun sales and cyber bullying on their platforms. This letter was sent after local law enforcement officers flagged illegal gun sales and bullying on these platforms as a key driver of youth violence in New Mexico communities.

Rep. Vasquez remains committed to taking ongoing, concrete action to prevent youth violence in Las Cruces and across New Mexico, including:

• Securing Resources to Keep Our Communities Safe:
  • Secured over $9 billionin public safety funding for state and local law enforcement to keep our kids safe, combat cartels, and support crime victims
  • Secured $1 millionfor new streetlights and infrastructure in Las Cruces through the Lift Up Las Cruces Project, keeping Las Cruces' streets better lit at night to keep pedestrians safe.
  • Secured $1.06 million for the Albuquerque Police Department to deploy more public safety camerasfor the "Real Time Crime Center," strengthening crime prevention, intervention, and investigation efforts across the city and in Albuquerque Public Schools.
  • Secured $500,000for Bernalillo County to acquire advanced public safety hardware and software, including gunshot detection technology, to improve law enforcement efficiency and crime response speed.
• Pushing for Youth Violence Prevention
  • Secured $1.4 millionfor the Boys and Girls Club of Las Cruces to renovate the facility and provide Las Cruces youth a safe space to learn, grow, and relax outside of school hours.
  • Cosponsor of the Latino Youth Mental Health Empowerment Actto improve mental health among the Hispanic and Latino youth populations and expand access to services for all young New Mexicans.
  • Joined letter pushing for $20 million for the Department of Justice's Children Exposed to Violence initiative in the 2027 government funding bill, requesting at least $10 million to be used for the Youth Violence Prevention Program to prevent young people in New Mexico from getting involved with gangs.
  • Cosigned letter supporting $130 million for the Youth Mentoring Program under the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in the 2027 government funding bill to prevent New Mexico's young people from dropping out of school, using illegal substances and becoming involved in violence.
• Combating Online Threats for Youth
  • Cosponsor of the Combating Cartels on Social Media Actto require DHS to develop and implement a national strategy to combat illicit recruitment of American citizens through social media and introduced the No More Narcos Act to create a coordinated educational campaign led by the Department of Justice to teach middle and high school students within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border about the dangers of working with cartels
• Promoting Responsible Gun Ownership and Gun Safety:
  • Cosponsored Ethan's Law to require that all firearms be locked and secured in homes with minors or individuals who would be legally prohibited from owning a gun to keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them.
  • Supports the Bipartisan Background Checks Act to require a background check for all gun sales.

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