Parents of the 13-year-old boy who was fatally shot by another 13-year-old in late March were joined by state senators and community members to call for change and address youth crime.
Over 50 people showed up for the conference that was held in front of The City of Las Cruces City Hall to listen and give condolences to the family of Christopher Carnero who died after another 13-year-old allegedly brought a gun into the family's home and shot the boy.
Christopher’s mom Janel Carnero said that their home had always been a welcoming place for children who needed help, from adopting Chris when he was four-months-old to helping over a dozen children who needed support.
“We wanted to show them what love was like, especially when so many have never experienced it before. Chris embodied that spirit. He came to us because his friend didn't have a place to sleep,” Carnero said.
The boy who allegedly shot Chris is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Carnero said that many people in the community are asking for help and children's safety needs to be a bigger focus.
“We are witnessing a terrifying reality where children are being groomed and used to commit crimes, exploited by people who know that sentences for these are minimal and they are using our children as weapons and the cost is their lives. Right now our kids are begging for help throughout this agonizing nightmare,” Carnero said.
Las Cruces Police Department Lt. Peter Bradley said that in 2018 there were 18 juveniles who were arrested with a firearm. In 2025 that number was 58. The number of juveniles charged with murder saw a similar change. From 2012 to 2019, there was no juvenile charged with murder. From 2020 to today, there have been 18.
“We are seeing this for a lot of reasons but one of the reasons we are seeing it is it's a cultural shift among young men. Carrying firearms has become a status symbol. It has become an accessory,” Bradley said.
Democratic State Senator Bill Soules and Republican State Senator Crystal Brantley both expressed their wishes for change. Souls highlighted the need for more community support and prevention, while Brantley homed in on tougher sentences for criminals.
“I believe that interrupting a criminal path early may not just save their lives, but may save the lives of others; and I believe that no one, regardless of age, has the authority to have free reign to terrorize our communities. Public safety must matter,” Brantley said.
Local business owner Marci Dickerson also called for change and wrapped up the press conference with a direct message to those she said are standing in the way of change.
“Today is the beginning, because starting today, we are coming. We are coming for change and we will demand it and we will finance it and we will hold you accountable; and if you don't make sure our community’s safety and the safety of our youth is your number one priority, we will come for you,” Dickerson said.
