SAN ANTONIO – A young mother who fought to survive after being injured in a road rage shooting on the Northeast Side in December is now fighting for change.
Being the mom of a bubbly 3-year-old who is about to be 4 is a handful, especially now that Rosalinda Menchaca is in a wheelchair following the shooting last year.
“I was shot eight times,” she said.
Menchaca, 21 at the time, was driving with her daughter, Mariana, her daughter’s father, and his brother on Schertz Road near Thousand Oaks and Wurzbach on Dec. 1. Police said she moved over to let another car pass, and someone inside opened fire.
“When they put me on the stretcher, I started not to feel my legs and my feet and, at the time, I didn’t know I got shot in my stomach,” Menchaca said.
She was five months pregnant, and her son Emiliano was born seven days later. He didn’t survive.
“I am blessed that I’m able to have my daughter, hug my daughter, and have her here for her birthday. But what about all these other parents,” said Rachel Menchaca, Rosalinda’s mom.
Rosalinda Menchaca lost her spleen and some of her intestines. She also has rods in her spine, and her feet are paralyzed.
She spent 31 days at BAMC and another 15 at Warm Springs Rehab.
While Rosalinda Menchaca’s shooter has never been caught, the Robb Elementary School shooting inspired her and her mom to start advocating for gun law changes.
“(At) 18, you’re allowed to buy a gun. I mean, you haven’t even started your life yet,” Rosalinda Menchaca said.
KSAT asked her if the Senate bipartisan agreement went far enough by increasing the background checks for people purchasing weapons under the age of 21 but not raising the age requirements.
“It’s no ifs, ands, or buts. It should be (going) up,” Rosalinda Menchaca said.
“That’s our prayer -- for there to be a stop on this gun violence, you know, and for the age to change,” Rachel Menchaca said.
Delaware Sen. Chris Coons said he believes the agreement will become legislation and presented to the full Senate before July.
As it stands, enough Republicans have backed the agreement, and it should pass the 60 votes needed to bypass a Senate filibuster. If someone flips, that goes out the window.
7 months ago Rosalinda Menchaca was an expecting mom raising a 3 year old. On December 1st that changed. She was shot 8 times in a road rage shooting on the Northeast side. She lost her baby boy Emiliano and spent 31 days in the hospital. @ksatnews pic.twitter.com/kwEVOtqEGe
— Leigh Waldman (@LeighWaldman) June 13, 2022