Recovering from shooting, Round Rock cheerleader makes it to prom

A Round Rock cheerleader who was shot twice in an H-E-B parking lot in Elgin last month after one of her teammates accidentally tried to get into the wrong car didn't miss out on prom this year.

Payton Washington, an 18-year-old cheerleader at Stony Point High School, posed in a sparkly white dress with friends on Saturday after briefly getting out of her wheelchair.

Her mother, Angela Washington, said Payton was recuperating at home.

In a Facebook post on April 26 about her daughter's injuries, Angela Washington wrote that "to say (Payton) is strong is a understatement."

More: Two cheerleaders shot after trying to get into the wrong car at H-E-B; suspect in custody

"We almost lost her this last week, but in true Payton form, she beat the odds," Angela Washington wrote. "Her injuries included a shattered spleen that had to be removed, damage to the diaphragm, damage to the pancreas which required part of it to be removed, and two holes in her stomach. These caused by the gun shot in her back. She also had a gun shot in her butt."

Payton's father declined to comment on his daughter's recovery.

The incident happened on April 18 when Payton Washington and three other cheerleaders returned from practice with Woodlands Elite Cheer Co. to a carpool parking lot at the H-E-B grocery store at 1080 U.S. 290 East in Elgin, police have said.

One of the cheerleaders, Heather Roth, told ABC News that she got out of her friend's car and opened the door to a car she thought was her own, but the shooting suspect, later identified as Pedro Tello Rodriguez, was in the passenger seat.

Roth said that when she went back to her friend's car, Rodriguez approached it, according to ABC News. Roth said she rolled down the window to apologize, and the shooter opened fire on the teens. Roth was grazed by a bullet, she told ABC News. Roth has not returned requests for comment.

Rodriguez was arrested and charged with deadly conduct, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

In her most recent post on Instagram, Payton thanked people for supporting her during her recovery.

"Thank you for everyone who has prayed for me," Payton said. "It's been a really hard two weeks but I'm working to get better daily. Take some time to tell everyone you love them. Things in life can change so quickly and you don't want to lose an opportunity to let them know how you feel."

A Gofundme organized by Woodlands Elite Generals to pay for Payton Washington's medical expenses has raised $142,215 of the $250,000 being sought. Woodlands Elite Generals, which is part of Woodlands Elite Cheer Co., has not responded to requests for comment.

Washington has won numerous cheerleading awards, according to her Instagram post. She is a four-time world's silver medalist, a 10-time National Cheerleading Association champion and a four-time Majors champion.

The senior varsity cheerleader has previously signed to attend Baylor University and will be a member of their acrobatics and tumbling team, according to her Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Round Rock cheerleader Payton Washington recovering, makes it to prom