It was an evening like any other in Elgin, a small town outside of Austin, Texas. Around midnight, a group of high school cheerleaders waited in a car at their routine pick up location, a H-E-B parking lot, after a rigorous practice session at the Woodlands Elite Cheer Company.
Payton Washington, a 4x major champ and world’s silver medalist, chewed on licorice as she texted on her smartphone. Her peer, Heather Roth, mistakingly thought her ride had arrived only to discover a stranger when she opened the door of the vehicle.
She apologized to the man and went back to the group of teens waiting in the car. That’s when Pedro Rodriguez Jr., 25, approached the vehicle and opened fire.
“We were trying to get a way as fast as we could,” Washington said in an exclusive interview with GMA’s Michael Strahan. “I knew somewhere I was bleeding, but I had so much adrenaline I didn’t really know where.”
When the cheerleaders found a safe place, they discovered that Washington was shot multiple times and Roth was grazed by a bullet. Washington suffered gunshot wounds to her backside causing her to have to undergo several surgeries and intensive rehab.
The suspect was detained and charged with a third degree felony of deadly conduct. He was released on a $100k bail. The investigation is ongoing.
“He did what he did, and I’m just [going to] try to get through it,” Washington said about her road to recovery. “There’s no point in me really thinking about what he did.”
Since the shooting, Washington has gained her ability to stand and walk. The 5.1 GPA national honor student attended her graduation just five weeks after the incident. She chooses to have an optimistic outlook on life as she looks forward to attending Baylor University and continuing her cheerleading career.
“Payton is a strong young lady — if you know her, you know that about her,” said Felecia Mulkey, head coach of the Baylor University Acrobatic and Tumbling Team. “I have no doubt she’s going to get through this. 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.”
The experience has left Washington even more determined than ever. She continued, “You can literally do anything, if you push and you persevere. Don’t doubt yourself ever, because you can do anything as long as you’re putting your 120 percent into it.”
Watch the interview below:
