New Mexico Governor Vows to Bring Lawmakers Back After Semi-Auto Ban Bill Fails to Pass

New Mexico’s legislative session wrapped up on Saturday with two high profile gun control bills left on the table, but Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says lawmakers should expect to be called back to Santa Fe for a special session to deal with “public safety” issues… including the sweeping semi-auto ban that would block the sale of almost every semi-automatic long gun currently on the market. 

The governor pointed to a shooting in a Las Cruces park on Friday night that left three people dead and fourteen others wounded during what Las Cruces police are calling an “unsanctioned car show”.

It was a street takeover at 10pm. Neighbors had been complaining about escalating criminal activity and violence at the park for months before what happened last night. What failed once again is NM’s broken criminal justice system that refuses to hold people accountable. #2a https://t.co/ReQDBJVD7J

— NM Shooting Sports Association (@NM_SSA) March 22, 2025

While Grisham and gun control activists are already pointing to the incident as evidence that an “assault weapon” ban is needed, Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story told reporters on Saturday that all of the more than 50 shell casings that were found at the scene came from handguns.

Story said an person pictured in a social media post holding an automatic rifle was interviewed by police and is not currently a suspect. 

No arrests have been made, but LCPD is seeking relevant photos and videos from members of the public who were gathered at the park during the incident. They are being asked to upload those filed to a secure site.

Story said the first calls for gun shots came in at 10:10 p.m., and that gun fire escalated to injure several people caught in crossfire before LCPD and Las Cruces Fire arrived on scene. There was “ill will” between the groups prior to the event, according to Story. 

… In a news release on Saturday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham cited a 46% increase in violent crime in Las Cruces compared to last year.

“The devastating loss of Officer Jonah Hernandez in Las Cruces last year, and now this mass shooting, underscore the legislature’s years-long failure to address the crime crisis shattering lives and communities in our state,” the statement read. “New Mexicans are heartbroken, and they should also be outraged that their legislature will adjourn today without having a passed a single bill to address juvenile crime or ban assault weapons.”

In his Saturday press conference the Las Cruces chief didn’t blame a lack of gun control for the shooting. Instead, he noted that his department is understaffed; acknowledging that there were no officers available to police the park most of Friday night. 

“This horrendous senseless act is a stark reminder of the blatant disregard people in New Mexico have for the rule of law and order,” Story said. “It’s also a reminder of the lack of fear and accountability in New Mexico.”

A semi-auto ban wouldn’t have prevented this incident, but that’s not gonna stop the governor from exploiting this tragedy to the fullest. And oddly, the Republican minority in the legislature is on board with a special session, even if it means giving the Democratic majority another opportunity to adopt a gun ban (as well as a bill making it easier to sue gun makes and sellers for the actions of criminals). 

BREAKING: House Republicans sent a letter this morning to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, demanding a special session be called to address crime and healthcare.

Republicans in the legislature are ready with solutions. We hope Democrats are ready to listen to them.

— New Mexico House Republicans (@NMHouseGOP) March 22, 2025

That may just be a matter of optics, given that the Lujan Grisham has already made her intentions for a special session known. Rather than looking like they’re unwilling to “do something” in response to the shooting, they can promote their own public safety bills that don’t criminalize lawful gun owners or blame the Second Amendment for the state’s high rate of violent crime. The problem is that they’re not in the driver’s seat when it comes to the special session’s agenda, and the governor is going to be twisting a lot of arms to try to get those gun control bills to her desk once the special session is underway.