Investigators believe the shooting was triggered by an altercation between two groups of people at the car show, which quickly escalated into gunfire.
Eyewitness Recounts the Chaos
Shaquane Heckstall, a 27-year-old Army veteran and team captain of an El Paso-based car club, was present at the event when the violence erupted.
“I heard the pops going off, and I’m thinking it’s someone’s car, like their exhaust backfiring,” Heckstall told ABC News. “But then once it didn’t stop and then people started running, I was like: That’s not what that’s supposed to be.”
Heckstall’s military training immediately kicked in as he rushed to assist the wounded. Using makeshift tourniquets—including shoelaces, T-shirts, and sweatpants—he attempted to stop victims’ bleeding.
“Once the gunfire stopped I’m looking around, I see the bodies on the ground,” Heckstall said.
He described assisting a teenage victim who pleaded with him to help his father.
“At this point, I’m just trying to make sure he stays awake and keep him talking to make sure that he’s still good, you know?” Heckstall said. “I take one of the T-shirts to try and bandage some of the wounds, and then he stops me. He’s like, bro, go help my dad.”
Mass Shooting Investigation
The Las Cruces Police Department is receiving investigative support from the FBI, the New Mexico State Police, the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
