LCPS, parents take safety measures after mass shooting

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) — After the mass shooting at Young Park in Las Cruces that left three dead and 15 injured, Las Cruces Public Schools and parents are taking precautions to keep their kids safe.

Four suspects have been arrested for the shooting, including one 15-year-old, two 17-year-olds, and 20-year-old Tomas Rivas, who LCPS confirms is a former student of the district.

Being that a majority of the suspects and the victims who died were teenagers, parents fear that their kids are in danger and hope other parents make sure they know what their children are up to.

With students returning to schools from spring break on Monday, LCPS says they're prioritizing students' safety, as well as their emotional well-being as many of them might be grieving.

The district's communication director Kelly Jameson says some of the injured victims are LCPS students.

"We are heartbroken by the tragic mass shooting that occurred at Young Park [Friday] night, allegedly involving current and possibly former students from our community. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and everyone affected by this devastating incident," said Samantha Lewis, an LCPS spokesperson.

ABC-7 spoke with 20-year-old Josh Lozano, a former student of Centennial High School — the same school that 16-year-old Andrew "A.J." Madrid attended, who died on the scene.

"I'm a little worried for my little brother right now, for what he's going through... he grew up with him, and they went on a youth team that travel called the River bandits," said Lozano. "When I used to go to Centennial, I would see some kids and be like 'They're kind of like a little sketchy.'"

Lozano's mother, Brittney Amador said her youngest son played baseball with Madrid.

They recently moved away from Las Cruces, where she began to feel unsafe. Lozano said he "knew something like this would eventually happen."

"It makes me sad," Amador said. "It makes me sad knowing that, you know, if we still lived here, my boys would have been here. They would have been here at this meet, they'd been to meets previously before."

Amador said she thinks that children nowadays react quickly with violence, worried about her own kids every time they leave the house.

"We raise our kids the way that we feel best, there's not a handbook that shows you the correct way to raise them, but they make choices, and I just hope that my kids always make the best choice," she said. "So when every day when they go to school, it's taking a chance... The next day is not given."

Robert Yduarte is a father of three, and his eldest daughter is in middle school.

Yduarte says he monitors his children's phones and is concerned with everything he sees.

"They're talking about, pulling up, somebody else wanting to fight another individual. I know that they've mentioned, once or twice, knives and it was joking around like stabbing, fighting," said Yduarte. "But they're children... and I remind my daughter all the time, this isn't something that you want to be a part of."

LCPS also told ABC-7 that they are implementing their Crisis Response Team on campuses to provide support, along with more counselors and social workers.

She also said their school-based health centers will be available to provide mental health support.  

LCPS has also assigned School Resource Officers assigned to every middle and high school in the district, with access to their 25 elementary schools.

This goes along with the district's recent installation an advanced weapons detection systems to identify potential threats. They placed at key entry points in designated schools. 

As of last month, they've installed the detection systems in Lynn Community Middle School, Sierra Middle School, Organ Mountain High School, Picacho Middle School and Vista Middle School. 

They plan to install them in all middle and high schools. 

Police have yet to reveal the name of the juveniles arrested.