I had the same thoughts.

Definitely Not A Cop said:

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I understand what you are trying to say, but I think there is a better way to phrase it.

Just like with sexual assault, it's never the victims fault for that happening to them. It's the person who pulled the trigger. However, just because it's not your fault doesn't mean that you can lower your probability or risk of things like this happening to you.

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Exactly the same thought process.

I'm sure there wasn't a little mouthing off on both sides that led to a heated escalation followed up by shots fired. I'm sure all that happened was she got in the car, calmly said sorry, walked away and the man was like, hmmmm....gonna follow and shoot. Seems reasonable.

Zarathustra said:

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Irish 2.0 said:

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Texas doesn't require retreat. The person gets back into a car and then rolls the window down. How is the driver of the other car to know you didn't go back to the car to get a weapon because you realized the car was occupied? Then you roll the window down. Yeah...bad sequence of events.

No 25 year old chilling in his car in the HEB parking lot is looking to shoot and maim some HS kids out of malice. They started this sequnce by not paying attention which vehicle was theirs.

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Idiotic.

They were teenage girls. Who the F opens fire on teenage girls in cheerleading outfits?

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Someone who is always situationally aware.

Not to go tinfoil hat or anything, but the description of events and the entire story doesn't make sense to me.

If they mistakenly got in the wrong car, was the right car nearby? Why would they get back in the original car if the correct car was close? The one time I approached the wrong truck, my truck was a few spaces away. I simply walked over to my truck.

Elgin is 2 hours from The Woodlands. They routinely drove 2 hours each way for cheer practice on a weeknight?

I know competitive cheer is a thing, but there is a lot here that seems not to add up to my simple mind.

Durkin Nowitzki said:

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I've definitely at least attempted to open the door of the wrong vehicle a half dozen times of my life. most of the time the door was locked. Realizing my key faub won't unlock the door, quickly hits you that it's the wrong car.

I did this at least 3 times in my White F-150 XLT (because well...there is a gazillion white F-150 XLT's).

I did this at least once on my black Expedition XLT...because well...same reason.

It's probably not as commone for the door to be unlocked and attempt to sit in the car. But pulling on the handle of the wrong vehicle, I bet it happens almost every single day of a crowded grocery store parking lot.

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I drive a dark blue Ford Fusion.
Very common car.

I have approached cars thinking it was mine but wondering why my fob didn't work.

Durkin Nowitzki said:

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I've definitely at least attempted to open the door of the wrong vehicle a half dozen times of my life. most of the time the door was locked. Realizing my key faub won't unlock the door, quickly hits you that it's the wrong car.

I did this at least 3 times in my White F-150 XLT (because well...there is a gazillion white F-150 XLT's).

I did this at least once on my black Expedition XLT...because well...same reason.

It's probably not as commone for the door to be unlocked and attempt to sit in the car. But pulling on the handle of the wrong vehicle, I bet it happens almost every single day of a crowded grocery store parking lot.

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And in those instances, you did not deserve to be shot at while you drove off.
48 hour rule applies, but I have a feeling this Pedro was dealing or pimping and with a drug habit comes paranoia.

LMCane said:

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very sad state of affairs

are you boys serious that you have actually opened a door and gotten into the wrong car before?!

were you completely falling over drunk?

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My wife did this just last week. We took my truck to the store and when walking back out there was another truck that looked exactly like mine (stock black toyota tundra) parked on the same row. I knew it wasn't mine but she didn't and stopped and opened the door before realizing it wasn't my truck

Austin to the Woodlands twice a week for cheer practice is some serious commitment and gas bill.

BTW - I have NEVER opened the door of a car that wasn't mine. How clueless do you have to be to do that?

LMCane said:

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very sad state of affairs

are you boys serious that you have actually opened a door and gotten into the wrong car before?!

were you completely falling over drunk?

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You haven't? I don't drink, and I've walked up to the wrong (identical) looking vehicle and attempted the door.

Maybe when you've a few more years under your belt, some experience, you'll know about what we're talking.

lol

LMCane said:

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very sad state of affairs

are you boys serious that you have actually opened a door and gotten into the wrong car before?!

were you completely falling over drunk?

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I have attempted to open the wrong car before. Lots of cars look alike, especially at night (breaking news).

It's a silly mistake to make but it's not completely unheard of.

torrid said:

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Zarathustra said:

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They were teenage girls. Who the F opens fire on teenage girls in cheerleading outfits?

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Someone who is always situationally aware.

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Dang right! You just never know when they are packing.

Booma94 said:

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Not to go tinfoil hat or anything, but the description of events and the entire story doesn't make sense to me.

If they mistakenly got in the wrong car, was the right car nearby? Why would they get back in the original car if the correct car was close? The one time I approached the wrong truck, my truck was a few spaces away. I simply walked over to my truck.

Elgin is 2 hours from The Woodlands. They routinely drove 2 hours each way for cheer practice on a weeknight?

I know competitive cheer is a thing, but there is a lot here that seems not to add up to my simple mind.

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16 year old girl, midnight, just a bit freaked that she got into or opened the door of a car that wasn't hers and found a man inside. I'm guessing she went back to her friends because safety in numbers and to make sure they were in the right area where the right car was.

Tanya 93 said:

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Durkin Nowitzki said:

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I've definitely at least attempted to open the door of the wrong vehicle a half dozen times of my life. most of the time the door was locked. Realizing my key faub won't unlock the door, quickly hits you that it's the wrong car.

I did this at least 3 times in my White F-150 XLT (because well...there is a gazillion white F-150 XLT's).

I did this at least once on my black Expedition XLT...because well...same reason.

It's probably not as commone for the door to be unlocked and attempt to sit in the car. But pulling on the handle of the wrong vehicle, I bet it happens almost every single day of a crowded grocery store parking lot.

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I drive a dark blue Ford Fusion.
Very common car.

I have approached cars thinking it was mine but wondering why my fob didn't work.

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Dark blue Honda Pilot, been there, done that.

fc2112 said:

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BTW - I have NEVER opened the door of a car that wasn't mine. How clueless do you have to be to do that?

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I think if you took a poll of all of TexAgs, I would bet you see at least 30% of people (or more) have attempted to open the door of the wrong vehicle. Maybe it was locked, and it hits them it is the wrong vehicle. But they've pulled on the handle at minimum.

I mean think about it. How may stock Camry, Accord, F150, Silverado, GMC 1500, Sienna, Oddessy, Ram, etc etc are parked in the same parking lot? So if you have one the exact same color and trim level, that parked in the same row as you....it happens. You walk up to the wrong vehicle.

I bet it happens every single day at my HEB, by accident. No body is shooting each other up over it.

Be interesting to see a bio on the shooter .......there's more to him than has come out.

Quote:

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Quote:

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fc2112 said:
BTW - I have NEVER opened the door of a car that wasn't mine. How clueless do you have to be to do that?

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I know right? Anyway, these girls ***ed around and found out, didn't they? Serves them right.

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Absolutely! Just cuz some cars look identical to yours doesn't mean you don't deserve to be shot when you mistakenly open the wrong car's door.

88planoAg said:

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Booma94 said:

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Not to go tinfoil hat or anything, but the description of events and the entire story doesn't make sense to me.

If they mistakenly got in the wrong car, was the right car nearby? Why would they get back in the original car if the correct car was close? The one time I approached the wrong truck, my truck was a few spaces away. I simply walked over to my truck.

Elgin is 2 hours from The Woodlands. They routinely drove 2 hours each way for cheer practice on a weeknight?

I know competitive cheer is a thing, but there is a lot here that seems not to add up to my simple mind.

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16 year old girl, midnight, just a bit freaked that she got into or opened the door of a car that wasn't hers and found a man inside. I'm guessing she went back to her friends because safety in numbers and to make sure they were in the right area where the right car was.

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This is an important distinction. Oftentimes people think "Well what would I have done in that situation?" But keep in mind these are high school aged girls who have way less experience driving, and just generally think differently.

I haven't actually opened the door because they are always locked.

But I've done it 2x. My wife and I were using my moms GX460. Came back after lunch. It has proximity key. So we walk up. I'm trying to open the door. It won't auto unlock. I pull the key out and hit the button and another car beeps. Someone in the exact same black gx460 had pulled into a spot with one car between us.

Did we deserve to get shot for that?

Booma94 said:

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Not to go tinfoil hat or anything, but the description of events and the entire story doesn't make sense to me.

If they mistakenly got in the wrong car, was the right car nearby? Why would they get back in the original car if the correct car was close? The one time I approached the wrong truck, my truck was a few spaces away. I simply walked over to my truck.

Elgin is 2 hours from The Woodlands. They routinely drove 2 hours each way for cheer practice on a weeknight?

I know competitive cheer is a thing, but there is a lot here that seems not to add up to my simple mind.

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I think it makes complete sense.

I know a few kids who live in North Austin, and play on an AAU basketball team in Dallas and San Antonio. They make the trip at least twice per week. These are kids who will play at the next level, so they are sacrificing their time now. Like them, she had a scholarship at Baylor to cheer at the next level. The only thing I question, is allowing teenage girls to drive back and forth by themselves. But I dont know their situation.

And I'm not a 17 year old girl, but I've done that exact same thing. Thought I was in one place, and had to hop back into a friends car who took me where I'd actually parked. I could also see her jumping back into her friends car, giggling about the 'super embarrassing' thing she'd just done.

I think most women in general would probably retreat to safety in numbers in that situation.

Think for a second, you are tired after a long day of school, practice, and driving. You just opened the door of what you thought was your vehicle to find a man in it. Immediate thoughts: Is he stealing your car? Is this the wrong car? It's late at night. Let me get back to safety of my friends asap.

This may be off track, but about 30 years ago, I know someone whose elderly parents lived in Detroit. They went to the grocery store and came home IN THE WRONG CAR. The car was a GM sedan and looked identical to theirs and ironically their key started the wrong car.

They were clueless until the cops showed up at their house and accused the 80 something cotton tops of car theft!!

Furlock Bones said:

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I think most women in general would probably retreat to safety in numbers in that situation.

Think for a second, you are tired after a long day of school, practice, and driving. You just opened the door of what you thought was your vehicle to find a man in it. Immediate thoughts: Is he stealing your car? Is this the wrong car? It's late at night. Let me get back to safety of my friends asap.

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And they did that, right? They got back into their own car. Which is the quickest way to escape the situation.

Then maybe it's just bad or incomplete reporting leading to my confusion.

I would think some relevant facts to include might to have been what car she drives and what car was approached. And I know this story is in its early stages, but I also don't understand who is just randomly sitting in a car with a loaded gun in a parking lot at midnight.

I'm definitely not blaming the victims, because the shooter's actions were suspiscious and wrong, but so much about this story just doesn't make sense to me.

EMY92 said:

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Why does this cheerleading practice end at midnight, on a school night, for girls that have a 30 minute drive back into Austin. Why did some of the girls park at HEB and not the gym? Elgin isn't that dense so where parking should be a problem at the gym.

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Because practice is in The Woodlands. The generals are a nationally ranked HS cheer squad.