London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jun 18, 2026

2 Texas Cheerleaders Shot At As One Mistakenly Tried To Enter Wrong Car

2 Texas Cheerleaders Shot At As One Mistakenly Tried To Enter Wrong Car

The shooting early Tuesday came days after a Black teenager was shot in Missouri after ringing the wrong doorbell, and a young woman was shot dead in New York state after showing up at an incorrect address.
Two cheerleaders were shot in a Texas parking lot after one mistakenly tried to enter the wrong car, part of a spate of similar incidents this week in the United States.

The gunman fired multiple shots at the young women, seriously wounding one, police reported.

The shooting early Tuesday came days after a Black teenager was shot in Missouri after ringing the wrong doorbell, and a young woman was shot dead in New York state after showing up at an incorrect address.

In Texas, four cheerleaders -- reported to be teenagers -- were using the grocery store parking lot to carpool to cheer practice. They had returned to pick up their vehicles after midnight.

Heather Roth said she got out of her friend's car and went to what she believed was her vehicle and opened the door, before realizing a man was sitting inside. She then returned to her friend's car.

"I see the guy get out of the passenger door and I roll my window down and I was trying to apologize," she said in a video shared by local ABC affiliate KTRK.

"He just threw his hands up and then he pulled out a gun, and then he just started shooting at all of us."

A 25-year-old suspect, Pedro Tello Rodriguez, has been arrested and charged with deadly conduct, with the possibility of more charges, the Elgin Police Department said.

One cheerleader identified by local media as Payton Washington, "sustained serious injuries and was transported to the hospital by helicopter," police said.

A GoFundMe campaign -- which had raised nearly $70,000 as of Wednesday morning -- said that "Payton was shot twice and badly injured. She is stable in the ICU and will have a long road to recovery."

Ms Roth suffered a graze wound and was treated on scene, KTRK said.

The girls made an approximately 360-mile (580-kilometer) round trip three times a week to participate in an elite competitive cheerleading team.

Deadly shootings are a regular occurrence in the United States, a country of around 330 million people and an estimated 400 million guns.

Ralph Yarl, 16, was shot twice after ringing the wrong doorbell in Missouri while trying to pick up his twin brothers. The suspected shooter, an elderly white man, has surrendered to authorities.

And the 20-year-old woman in New York state was shot dead by a homeowner on Saturday night when she showed up with three others at the wrong address when trying to find a friend's house.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Cornwall Clergy Raise £40,000 for Church Repairs Through Everest-Themed Charity Challenge
UK Business and Social Landscape Reflects Strain From Geopolitical and Domestic Pressures
Tensions Grow in UK Over Sikh Kirpan and Religious Symbolism in Public Debate
Energy Price Cap Increase Set to Lift UK Household Bills by 13 Percent
University of Reading Ranked 196th in QS World University Rankings
UK Maritime Archaeologists Identify 17th-Century Dutch Shipwreck Off Devon Coast
Oxford Union Islam Debate Sparks Protest From Faith Leaders in UK
UK Social Cohesion Debate Intensifies After Religious Prejudice Survey Findings
UK SME Lending Rises Despite Geopolitical Uncertainty and Cautious Outlook
Foreign Demand for UK Gilts Remains Sensitive to Global Inflation Trends
Labour Party Faces Leadership Pressure After Weak Local Election Results in UK
Transport Costs Drive Inflation Pressure as Petrol Prices Push Up UK CPI
British Chambers of Commerce Cuts Growth Forecast as Middle East Conflict Weighs on Investment
UK Economy Grows 0.6 Percent in First Quarter but Outlook Remains Weak
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent as Inflation Risks Persist
Energy Price Cap Rise Expected to Keep UK Inflation Above Target Through 2026
Health Authorities Warn of Rising Cases of Seasonal Respiratory Illnesses
BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce Advance Multi-Nation Fighter Aircraft Programme
National Archives Publish Declassified Documents on Cold War Energy Security Planning
British Retail Spending Rises Despite Continuing Cost-of-Living Pressures
Wales Launches Social Housing Pilot to Address Affordability Pressures
British Energy Companies Commit £5 Billion to Geothermal and Hydrogen Projects
Northern Ireland Debates Cross-Border Healthcare Partnership With the Republic of Ireland
UK Establishes National Artificial Intelligence Safety Centre With Leading Universities
UK Reports Decline in Small Boat Crossings After Expanding Intelligence Cooperation With France
Scottish Parliament Launches Inquiry Into Delays to Renewable Energy Projects
National Crime Agency Dismantles Alleged Multi-Million-Pound Money Laundering Network in London
Transport Strikes Disrupt Rail and Bus Services Across Northern England
United Kingdom and European Union Open New Security Dialogue on Defense and Border Cooperation
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 5% as Services Inflation Remains Elevated
UK Government Unveils Major National Health Service Reform Focused on Decentralization and Performance Funding
Government Advances New Airport Slot Rules to Ease Airline Operating Constraints
BBC Opens Flagship Science-Fiction Franchise to Competitive Production Bids
Chancellor Meets City Leaders Amid Concerns Over Gilt Market Liquidity
Rathbones Shares Fall Seventeen Percent After Regulatory Review Reveals Compliance Failings
United Kingdom Joins Group of Seven Initiative Using Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing for Cancer Research
Parliament Debates Doubling Tax Allowance for Pensioners After Major Public Petition
Measles Cases Exceed Seven Hundred in London and the West Midlands
British Military Leadership Faces Parliamentary Scrutiny After Defence Secretary's Sudden Resignation
House of Lords Begins Debate on Steel Industry Nationalisation Legislation
Parliament Advances Bill to Abolish NHS England and Create Single Patient Records
Parliament Fast-Tracks National Security Bill to Expand Powers Against Foreign Threats
United Kingdom and European Union Set July Summit to Deepen Post-Brexit Cooperation
United Kingdom Imposes Seventy New Sanctions on Russia and Expands Support for Ukraine's Nuclear Sector
United Kingdom Announces Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
0British Government Investigates Reports of Russian Warship Firing Warning Shots Near Isle of Wight
UK Supreme Court Revises Legal Definition of Deprivation of Liberty
King’s Birthday Honours Recognise Contributions Across Science, Culture and Public Service
UK Ministry of Defence Reports Interdiction of Russian Shadow Fleet Vessel
UK and US Launch Joint Regulatory Programme for Medicines and Healthcare Products
×