Nathan Rivas sentenced to 3 life terms in Las Cruces

Nathan Rivas received three consecutive life terms in a Las Cruces court on Friday, Oct. 9. The ruling concludes the prosecution of four people convicted in the fatal March 2025 Young Park mass shooting. A jury found Rivas guilty of three counts of first-degree murder in February.

The shooting killed three people and injured 14 others. New Mexico District Judge Douglas Driggers sentenced Rivas on Friday morning, Oct. 9.

“He easily could have run away without engaging, but he didn’t,” said District Attorney Fernando Macias. “He turned around and started shooting into the crowd with complete disregard for the hundreds of people there.”

Rivas was reported to have a low IQ following medical evaluations. His ability to think through challenges is “non-existent,” according to the doctor who conducted the evaluations.

His brother, Tomas Rivas, received three consecutive life sentences in July for three murder counts. Gustavo Dominguez was tried as an adult and sentenced to three consecutive life terms in September. Josiah Ontiveros was convicted in Las Cruces under a “depraved mind” and received three life sentences on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Ontiveros was 15 at the time.

In New Mexico, consecutive life sentences require an individual to serve each prison term in sequence. District courts in Las Cruces handle felony trials and formal sentencing hearings. State corrections authorities oversee custody transfers following a final court judgment.

Nathan Rivas was the final defendant to receive his sentence. “These sentences represent justice and accountability,” Macias said. “We hope this becomes an opportunity to re-educate our community and make better efforts to intervene to keep incidents like these from occurring in this community.”