ELGIN, Texas — The Baylor community is reacting to a shooting that occurred in an HEB parking lot that left an 18-year-old Acrobatics and Tumbling team commit in critical condition on Tuesday, April 18.
According to Elgin police, officers responded to the report of a shooting at an HEB located at 1080 E. US 290. While in route to the scene, an additional call came in about someone being shot near the HEB, police say.
Police say officers were able to connect the two reports and concluded that an altercation in the parking lot led to a man firing numerous shots into a car.
There has been no official word from police on what started the altercation, but one of the victims told our Houston sister station, KHOU, that she accidentally got into the passenger seat of the wrong car, she tried to apologize, but the man pulled out a gun and began shooting.
According to police, the shooter was identified as Pedro Tello Rodriguez Jr. He has been arrested for deadly conduct, a third-degree felony, police say.
According to the owner of Woodlands Elite Cheer Co. Lynne Shearer, the two victims are cheerleaders who use her gym.
One of the victims was not identified, but they were grazed by a bullet, treated and released, according to police.
The 18-year-old in ICU is Payton Washington, who is set to join the Baylor Acrobatics and Tumbling team after she graduates.
The Baylor A&T social media account posted this message in support of Washington:
The official Baylor University Twitter account made sure to offer kind words to Washington and her family at this time.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Washington family with any medical expenses. The page has raised over $91,000 of the $100,000 goal.
To visit the GoFundMe page, visit here.
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