Stefani Lord, the representative for New Mexico State House District 22, expressed her belief that action is necessary to address violent crime across New Mexico. She made this comment in a post on X on March 25, following a fatal shooting that resulted in three deaths earlier this month.
"In typical New Mexico fashion, violent criminals are out on the streets causing chaos," said Lord, State Representative. "It's the elected Democrats who are consistently soft on crime. Breaking news: It's not working!"
The suspects involved in the March 21 mass shooting in Las Cruces have been identified. According to KOB 4, all are currently held at the Dona Ana County Detention Center and have criminal records. The suspects are Tomas Rivas, 20; Nathan Rivas, 17; Gustavo Dominguez, 17; and Josiah Ontiveros, 15. Tomas Rivas is detained in the adult section of the detention center. Reports indicate that he has a history of shoplifting and drug possession charges and has been implicated in various crimes including battery, domestic violence, and aggravated assault. He also faces pending smuggling charges in Texas. Nathan Rivas, Dominguez, and Ontiveros have been linked to crimes such as aggravated burglary, vandalism, sexual assault, possession, robbery, and other offenses.
Screenshot of State Representative Stefani Lord's March 25 post on X.
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Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story urged lawmakers to take action on juvenile crime. According to a March 25 KOB 4 report, Story emphasized that the issue concerns policy rather than politics. He noted that police chiefs across the state, including those in the New Mexico Association of Chiefs of Police, have raised concerns about the growing problem of violent juvenile crime.
The mass shooting occurred at Young Park in Las Cruces during a car meetup. Three people were killed and 15 others were injured. Two victims died at the scene while seven were treated on-site and four were sent to local hospitals. One victim was flown to El Paso for treatment. Seven more were later transferred to El Paso and four of the injured have since been treated and released according to a March 28 update from the Las Cruces Sun News. The victims who died were aged 16, 18, and 19 years old. The remaining injured ranged from ages 16 to 36.
Lord is a Republican politician from Albuquerque and founder of Pro-Gun Women, an organization advocating for Second Amendment rights. She was re-elected in 2024 to represent House District 22. Known for her strong support of gun rights and government accountability, she actively engages with her constituents on issues concerning personal freedoms.
