Who Is Payton Washington? Texas Cheerleader Shot After Getting Into Wrong Car

Payton Washington, a cheerleader from Austin, Texas, has been shot after she and her friends mistakenly tried to get into the wrong car.

The shooting of Payton Washington comes on the heels of such similar shootings in America including the Kansas City shooting of Ralph Yarl and the murder of Kaylin Gillis.

In this article, Nigeriabombshell.com brings you details about the latest shooting to rock the USA.

Who Is Payton Washington

Payton Washington is an American cheerleader who was shot after mistakenly getting into the wrong car whilst with friends on the way back from practice.

The shocking incident occurred on the morning of Tuesday, April 18th 2023 at an H-E-B parking lot in Elgin, about 25 miles east of Austin.

Washington and her friend, Heather Roth, were shot by a man identified as Pedro Tello Rodriguez Jr.

The two Texas cheerleaders were shot after they had mistakenly got into the wrong car in a parking lot after practice.

Roth was treated and released at the scene Tuesday morning whilst Payton Washington was helicoptered to a hospital in critical condition, according to Elgin police.

Heather Roth

Heather Roth, a cheerleader with the Woodlands Elite Cheer Co., said on Instagram Live that she and three other cheerleaders had finished practice when they went to a carpool lot just after midnight Tuesday.

Roth said she got out of her friend’s car and opened the door to a car she thought was her own, but a man was in the passenger seat. She said she got out of the car and back into her friend’s car.

When the man approached their vehicle, Roth said she rolled down the window to apologize, and the man started shooting.

Officers in Elgin, about 25 miles northeast of Austin, responded to reports of shots fired outside an H-E-B supermarket around 12:15 a.m. local time (1:15 a.m. ET) Tuesday, the Elgin Police Department said in a news release.

“Information suggests that an altercation occurred in the parking lot of H-E-B, and multiple shots were fired into a vehicle,” police said.

Two of the car’s occupants were struck by gunfire, with one victim sustaining serious injuries and transported by helicopter to a hospital, where they were listed in critical condition, police said.

Payton Washington Cheerleader Shot

American cheerleader Payton Washington was shot early Tuesday, April 18th 2023 outside an H-E-B supermarket in Elgin, near Austin Texas.

Payton Washington and two other friends with the Woodlands Elite Cheer Co, including Heather Roth, were shot at in a car by a man after mistakenly trying to get into his vehicle.

Lynn Shearer, owner of Woodlands Elite Cheer Co., said cheerleaders typically carpooled from the Austin area to her gym.

On Monday night, she said at least four cheerleaders were on their way back to the Austin area and had to stop at an H-E-B, where some of the members had parked their cars.

One of the girls accidentally tried to get into the wrong car, Shearer said. That’s when, she said, a “guy got out and they saw that he had a gun. And so they tried to speed off and he shot his gun, like five times or so into the car.”

About Payton Washington, Shearer said she was an exceptional cheerleader and a role model to many others.

According to Stony Point High School’s cheerleader booster club, Washington was one of their own senior varsity cheerleaders as well.

She had also been accepted to Baylor University and its acrobatics ad tumbling team.

“Payton is a strong young lady; if you know her, you know that about her. I have no doubt she’s going to get through this,” Fee Mulkey, Baylor’s acrobatics and tumbling coach, said in a statement released by the university.

“She’s an amazing athlete but a better human, and that’s why she’s a part of our Baylor family. My prayers are with Payton and her teammates that were involved in last night’s tragic event, I know mental wounds also leave scars. We want to lift up the athletes and their families during this difficult time. We love Payton and we wish her well as she recovers.

Peyton Washington Go Fund Me

Woodlands Elite General has organised a Go Fund Me to raise funds to support Payton Washington’s medical expenses.

Titled Payton Washington’s Medical Expenses, the post reads: “Three of our Generals and one Red Angel were viciously shot at last night in a senseless and random act of violence. Payton was shot twice and badly injured. She is stable in the ICU and will have a long road to recovery.

“Please consider helping to ease the financial burden to this family of their medical expenses. We ask that you keep our athletes in your prayers at this devestating time,”

As as press time, the Peyton Washington Go Fund Me had raised $88,390 out of its stated $100,000 goal.

Pedro Rodriguez Telles Junior

One Pedro Rodriguez Telles Junior was arrested and charged in the shooting of Cheerleader Payton Washington and Heather Roth.

After investigating throughout the night, police said a suspect, identified as Pedro Tello Rodriguez Jr., was taken into custody and charged with deadly conduct, a third-degree felony.

The investigation remains active and additional or enhanced charges could be filed.