2 Texas All-Star Cheerleaders Shot in Parking Lot After Mistakenly Trying to Enter Wrong Car

Payton Washington.Photo: GoFundMe

Two all-star cheerleaders are recovering from being shot in a Texas parking lot after one mistakenly tried to get into the wrong car.

Heather Roth and Payton Washington were returning home from cheer practice at Woodlands Elite Cheer Co. in Oak Ridge, Texas with two other friends when the incident happened on Monday, perFox 7 Austin.

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“Three of our Generals and one Red Angel were viciously shot last night in a senseless and random act of violence,” states aGoFundMecreated in Washington’s name. “Payton was shot twice and badly injured. She is stable in the ICU and will have a long road to recovery.”

“It was a harrowing night for all four of those girls,” Woodlands Elite Cheer Owner Lynne Shearer toldFox 7 Austin.

Fox 7 Austinreported that the man who fired the shots was 25-year-old Pedro Tello Rodriguez. He was taken into custody early Tuesday, the Elgin Police Department said in a news release,per CNN.

The Elgin Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for information.

A Baylor University spokesperson released a statement saying its head coach Felecia Mulkey visited Washington in the hospital.

“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,” she added.

Shearer toldFox 7 AustinWashington had “won every title there is to win in All-Star cheerleader except for a world title” and was due to compete in her last All-Star Cheerleader World Championships this weekend.

Being in the hospital instead of the championships would be “super heartbreaking for her,” Shearer added to the outlet. “I don’t know what we’re going to put on the floor, but we will be there, and we will definitely all be competing for her.”

source: people.com