Last Friday night, as I sat on the floor of the Senate in the final hours of the 60-day legislative session, my disappointment over the bills that didn’t pass turned into shock and anger. Texts and calls flooded my phone—some from constituents, others from law enforcement—letting me know there had been another tragedy in my community. Now, we know more.
Three kids are dead. Fifteen others are injured. Four teenage boys are in custody.
As we approached the 2025 session, the people of New Mexico gave their elected officials a clear mandate: do something about crime. So, the legislature did what it too often does—check the box without rocking the boat. We passed some good bills, many of which I proudly sponsored or supported, including reforms to criminal competency, strengthening our RICO statute, and beginning long-overdue changes at CYFD.
But let’s be honest: the meaningful public safety reforms that would actually keep violent offenders off the streets were left on the table. When murderers, poison pushers, and human traffickers are walking free just days or months after arrest, what message does that send? To their associates planning the next crime? To young people watching closely, trying to decide which path to take?
What happened at Young Park is not just a tragedy—it’s a warning. We are losing a generation of kids to violence, and we are failing to hold them accountable. The boys accused in Friday’s shooting didn’t just become killers overnight. This kind of violence builds over time. And our current system has no meaningful way to interrupt that path.
Our juvenile justice system is broken. Right now, a teenager can be caught with an illegal gun, threaten classmates, even participate in human trafficking as one of Friday’s suspects did—and still walk free before their victims leave the hospital. That’s not rehabilitation. That’s abandonment—of the child, of the victim, and of our communities.
This session, we had real proposals to bring accountability and consequences back into the system. Bills that would have made it clear that there are limits—even for minors. That violence has consequences. But those proposals weren’t prioritized. And now we’re left with another tragedy.
Until we show these kids—and the adults pulling their strings—that New Mexico won’t tolerate lawlessness, public safety will continue to deteriorate. We must draw a clear line. No one should be free to terrorize their community with impunity—no matter their age.
That’s why I support a special session that doesn’t just check a box but gets something real done on crime. We owe that to the victims. We owe it to the families. And we owe it to every New Mexican who just wants to feel safe walking through their neighborhood park on a Friday night.
Senator Crystal Brantley represents the 35th District in the New Mexico Senate, which includes Catron, Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra & Socorro counties.
