As Houston prepares for New Year’s Eve festivities, one family is speaking out against celebratory gunfire after a terrifying experience left 12-year-old Ashley Rodriguez injured on Christmas Eve.
Ashley and her mom, Alejandra Moncada, are sharing their story to raise awareness and prevent such incidents from happening again.
The evening started like any other as Ashley and her mom left a relative’s apartment in their complex on Glenmont Drive. But just moments later, the unimaginable happened. A stray bullet struck Ashley’s leg, causing her immense pain and leaving her unable to walk without crutches.
At first, Ashley and her mom didn’t realize she had been shot. Firecrackers were going off all around them, masking the sound of gunfire.
“It felt hot,” Ashley recalled. “I thought it was a firecracker. I was even looking for water to cool it down. Then someone told me, ‘No, you’ve been shot.’”
Houston Police believe the bullet came from celebratory gunfire. Alejandra says she didn’t hear any gunshots before the incident, possibly because the weapon had a silencer.
In the chaos that followed, a kind neighbor rushed to help. Seeing Alejandra trying to stop Ashley’s bleeding, the neighbor offered to drive them to the hospital. But their ordeal didn’t end there. On the way, the car skidded on wet roads and crashed near Westpark Drive and Hillcroft Avenue. Thankfully, emergency responders from the Houston Fire Department arrived quickly and took Ashley to the hospital, where doctors treated her injuries.
Ashley is now recovering and holding onto the bullet that pierced her leg as a reminder of how lucky she is to be alive. Doctors say it could take up to three months for her to heal completely.
As they process this traumatic experience, Ashley and her mom hope their story will encourage people to celebrate safely.
“Please, stop using guns to celebrate,” Alejandra pleaded. “There are so many other ways to have fun without putting lives in danger.”
Ashley added, “I was lucky this time, but not everyone would be. People could get hurt just like me.”
Houston Police are still investigating and looking for the person responsible for firing the gun that injured Ashley. No arrests have been made, and authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward.
