Two Texas cheerleaders shot after getting into wrong car

Two precocious schoolhouse cheerleaders successful Texas were shot, seemingly aft approaching the incorrect car successful a parking batch extracurricular of Austin.

One of the athletes, Payton Washington, 18, remains successful infirmary successful captious condition, according to family.

Their cheer institution called the incident, which took spot astir midnight connected Tuesday, "horrific".

Police person arrested Pedro Tello Rodriguez Jr, 25, and charged him with "deadly conduct".

The shooting happened extracurricular of a supermarket successful Elgin — astir 25 miles from Austin, Texas. Elgin constabulary said they responded to a call astatine 00:15 section clip (05:15 GMT).

"Information suggests that an altercation occurred successful the parking lot, and aggregate shots were fired into a vehicle," said the police. One unfortunate was treated astatine the scene, portion different was transported to a infirmary wherever "they stay successful captious condition".

Members of Ms Washington's cheerleading squad held a supplication vigil connected Tuesday night.

Cheerleader Heather Roth said she got retired of her friend's car to get into her ain vehicle, but mistakenly picked the incorrect car. There was a antheral successful the passenger's seat, truthful she retreated backmost to her friend's vehicle.

"I spot the feline get retired of the rider door. And I rolled my model down, and I was trying to apologise to him.... and helium conscionable threw his hands up and helium pulled retired a weapon and helium conscionable starting shooting astatine each of us," she said.

The Woodlands Elite Generals cheerleading squad has organized a GoFundMe leafage for Ms Washington's aesculapian expenses. The run statement says she was "shot doubly and severely injured".

Her father, Keylon Washington, told NBC News that the 18-year-old was successful unchangeable but captious information aft being flown by chopper to a adjacent hospital, wherever doctors removed her spleen.

"Payton's accomplished everything she has with lone 1 lung [from] erstwhile she was born. She's arsenic pugnacious arsenic they come," helium told the outlet.

The incidental is 1 successful a drawstring of shootings this week involving young Americans who are reported to person mistakenly approached the incorrect idiosyncratic oregon home.

In New York state, 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis was changeable and killed connected Saturday aft a person accidentally drove down the incorrect driveway. Last Thursday successful Missouri, 16-year-old Ralph Yarl was changeable successful the caput and limb erstwhile helium rang the doorbell astatine the incorrect address.