Witnesses, family grapple with aftermath of Las Cruces shooting
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Nearly 72 hours have passed since Friday night’s shooting at Young Park in Las Cruces, which killed three teenagers and injured 15 other people.
UPDATE: 4 suspects arrested in park shooting in Las Cruces
KTSM spoke with witnesses of the shooting -- some caught in the crossfire, others who followed their instincts to try and render aid to those shot.
"So once I hear the pops stop, I jump out of my car, pop my trunk back, and I'm looking for anything I can use to assist and patch wounds, bandages, things of that nature. So I had T-shirts, a pair of sweatpants and a jacket, and had shoelaces out of my basketball shoes. So I gathered all those things and I went over to where everything took place. The first person I ran up to was a kid, maybe 15, 16 years old," said Shaquane Heckstall, a witness to Friday’s shooting.
A family member of Jason Gomez, the 17-year-old shot and killed in the shooting, said Heckstall helped Gomez’s younger brother administer CPR to Gomez. The family member said they’re thankful Heckstall tried to help, and that Gomez’s younger brother was not alone as his brother died.
“I'm also military, and in high-stress situations like that. Your training takes over. My combat lifesaver training kicked in. I was just there trying to make a difference. That’s not me trying to be a hero, trying to be brave. Literally, my body was moving on its own,” Heckstall said.
Justin Gomez, one of Gomez’s three younger brothers, spoke about his brother in the parking lot of Young Park, where his brother’s body lay dead after the shooting, which now has a growing memorial with flowers and candles from friends and family.
“He had a kind soul. Everywhere, we went he made sure he had a smile on his face. He made all of us smile. And seeing him gone hurts, because he was my brother,” Justin Gomez said.
Rusty Evans, head baseball coach for Centennial High School, said he learned of 16-year-old Andrew Madrid's death late Friday night while he and the varsity team were staying in Carlsbad, New Mexico for a game the following morning.
Madrid was a player on the JV team at Centennial High, Evans said.
“It's hit hard, to be honest with you. It's hit real hard. These players are special to me. You get into this profession to coach young men and baseball's the avenue I get to do it through. But ultimately the rewards are long after they're done playing, when you get an invite to their wedding or when they get to celebrate their accomplishments. It hurts.” Evans said.
“Our last conversation, he just sent me videos (of the car show). He was really excited. He thought they were really cool. And he just stopped answering. And that’s when I found out through other people that he was shot,” said Isabella Hernandez, a friend of Madrid from Centennial High School.
“He was the sweetest person ever. Everyone liked him. Even if it was just through one conversation, he was so sweet. He never had anything bad to say. He was never angry at anyone. He was just very sweet. And him out of all people didn't deserve it because so many people loved him,” Hernandez said.
David Carrasco, a witness to the shooting, said he did not know the shooters or the victims that night, but said he and one of his friends were caught in the crossfire as they attempted to flee.
"Yeah, I was running and then I got shot through the arm,” Carrasco said. “So everything was kind of just calm at first. We were joking around. We're having fun out there, messing around. And then when they start shooting, we're just just trying to run. I'm trying to find my friends. I'm kind of just wondering where they are. I'm worried about where they are, what's going on with them."
Carrasco said his best friend was shot in the back, but that the bullet missed his spine by three inches. His friend, fortunately, only broke his ribs and is expected to make a full recovery, Carrasco said.