No fewer than three people were killed and 15 others injured in a mass shooting between two rival groups at an unsanctioned car show on Friday in the US state of New Mexico, according to local authorities.
The shooting took place at Young Park in the city of Las Cruces, at about 22:00 local time.
“There have not been arrests or anyone detained,” but the department was seeking leads, Las Cruces police chief Jeremy Story said at a Saturday press conference.
Two 19-year-old men and one 16-year-old boy were killed in the shooting, police said.
“There was an altercation between two groups of people, and that altercation escalated to gunfire between both groups,” Mr Story said. “Several other people were also injured in the crossfire.”
Mr Story stated that there was “ill will” between the two parties prior to the car exhibition.
According to authorities, about 50-60 gunshot shell casings from handguns were discovered at the location, and the crime scene was large, with approximately 200 persons present.
Police have requested that any witnesses come forward with information or video.
The gunshot harmed people between the ages of 16 and 36. The victims have yet to be identified, according to authorities.
According to fire chief Michael Daniels, seven victims were sent to adjacent El Paso, Texas, just across the New Mexico border, for additional medical treatment.
Four more individuals have been treated and released, Mr Daniels stated.
“Today we mourn a tragic, a senseless, a horrible event that happened in our city last night,” said Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez.
“There’s no place for violence like this in our community, and we will continue to work tirelessly to make our community safe,” he said.
Police reacted to reports of shooting and probable victims near the parking lot at 22:00 local time.
Bystanders had already begun offering treatment, according to Story, and firefighters began treating casualties before the site was properly secured.
According to Enriquez, the incident was responded to by local emergency officials as well as members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The New York Times claimed that the event was a monthly gathering of modified sports car aficionados.
Mr Story told reporters that the auto exhibitions had become “an issue”.
The police chief confirmed that firearms were present at the automobile gathering. He stated that some “used the shooting”, but that other persons at the park that night were carrying firearms “willy nilly” that were unrelated to the incident.
The United States has a long-standing political debate over the extent to which citizens should be allowed to buy and carry firearms.
Though the US Constitution grants Americans the freedom to “keep and bear arms”, federal law oversees gun access broadly; nonetheless, each of the 50 states has its own set of rules regarding the purchase, ownership, and carrying of weapons.
New Mexico permits people to openly carry weapons in public without permission.
To carry a concealed firearm in public, however, permission is required, and people who meet specific qualifications can apply for one through the state.
Authorities did not give information on the legal status of the firearms used in Friday’s shootings.
Mr Story described the shooting as “senseless” and emphasised the importance of the “rule of law” in New Mexico.
However, he clarified that “this news conference will not be political” since “now is not the time”.
