Las Cruces Young Park shooter Dominguez gets three life terms
A Las Cruces judge sentenced Gustavo Dominguez on Friday, September 11, to 90 years in prison for his role in the 2025 Young Park mass shooting that killed three teenagers and injured more than a dozen others. The sentence consists of three consecutive life terms, each carrying 30 years.
Deputy Court Clerk Christy French told KTSM 9 News that Dominguez, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was tried as an adult and found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder.
The family of Dominick Estrada, one of the victims killed in the shooting, addressed the court and Dominguez during the sentencing hearing, according to the Doña Ana County District Attorney’s Office.
“We will never get to see him walk through the doors with his big, beautiful smile. We will never get to hug him,” said Dominick Estrada’s family. “You shattered an entire family and deserve life behind bars.”
District Attorney Fernando Macias said Dominguez showed no remorse at the hearing.
“Gustavo Dominguez acted without any remorse, without any hesitation and with a blatant disregard for human life,” Macias said.
Three other defendants have been convicted in connection with the shooting. In February, juries convicted brothers Tomas and Nathan Rivas of three counts of first-degree murder each. In April, a jury convicted Josiah Ontiveros of three counts of first-degree murder and found him not guilty of conspiracy.
Judge Douglas Driggers sentenced Tomas Rivas to 90 years in prison on Friday, July 31. That sentence also consists of three consecutive life terms of 30 years each. Rivas was the first of the four defendants to be sentenced in the case.
Sentencing for Ontiveros is scheduled for Sept. 30, 2026, and Nathan Rivas is scheduled for Oct. 9, 2026. Macias is seeking 90-year sentences for both remaining defendants.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Spencer Willson said the office would continue its work on the case.
“We are committed to seeking justice for all the lives that were taken and the families whose lives were forever changed,” Willson said. “Our office will continue to pursue accountability for those responsible.”
