What happened to Manuela Rodriguez? Family of teen awarded $13M in fatal shooting involving school resource officer

The family of 18-year-old Manuela Rodriguez, who was fatally shot in 2021, has been awarded $13 million. The tragic incident took place in September 2021 when Rodriguez got into a physical scuffle with another teenager. Shortly after that, she was shot in the head by a school safety officer. Manuela Rodriguez reportedly spent around a week on life support before succumbing to her injuries.

When Rodriguez died, she had a son who was then five months old. The school district was in negotiations with the victim’s family to come to a settlement. Michael Carrillo, the family’s attorney, confirmed to CNN that the victim’s family does not expect any “admission of liability” from the school district.

The Millikan High School safety officer, identified as Eddie Gonzalez, was charged with murder, but he pleaded not guilty to the charges. It was further confirmed that Eddie’s first court appearance has been scheduled for June 7, 2023.

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Manuela Rodriguez was shot in the head while she was in the front passenger seat of the car, back in 2021

A tragic incident happened on September 27, 2021, when an 18-year-old teenager named Manuela Rodriguez was shot in the head near Millikan High School in Long Beach, California. At around 3:15 pm of the sam day, Manuela was involved in a physical altercation with another 15-year-old teenager. School safety officer Gonzalez tried to intervene and diffuse the fight.

Meanwhile, Manuela tried fleeing the area and got into a sedan that her boyfriend, Rafuel Chowdhury (then 20 years old), was driving. The 18-year-old was in the front passenger seat of the car when it pulled away. Bystander video captured Eddie Gonzalez opening fire on the car, and soon a bullet struck Manuela Rodriguez in the head. She was rushed to the hospital and was on life support for around eight days. In October, Rodriguez succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead.

During the tragic shooting, apart from Manuela, Rafuela and his then 16-year-old brother were also present in the car. However, none of them had any firearms on them when Eddie opened fire on their vehicle. A retired LA County sheriff’s commander, Charles “Sid” Heal, said:

“The car clearly was not a weapon, as it was moving away from him when he fired.”

Seth Stoughton, a law professor at the University of South Carolina, stated:

“The car isn’t a threat, so there is no justification for the use of deadly force here.”

In 2021, District Attorney George Gascón commented that:

“This case really illustrates the importance of holding public officials accountable. Especially public officials that are entrusted with the safety of our family and our kids.”

A year later, Manuela Rodriguez’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Long Beach Unified School District. According to the lawsuit, there was negligence on the school district’s part and it was claimed that the school district employed Eddie Gonzalez, but failed to train him well. Manuela Rodriguez’s brother Omar stated:

“I personally don’t really care about the settlement. It’s not bringing my sister back. I don’t want anybody else to go through this pain.”

The family’s attorneys have announced that the school district will pay $13 million to settle the lawsuit that the family filed. The attorney further mentioned that when Gonzalez shot at the car, it was already leaving. Hence, the safety officer wasn’t in danger. Attorney Luis Carrillo said:

“We shouldn’t be here today, but they screwed it all up by hiring an unqualified future killer cop.”

However, a spokesperson for the Long Beach Unified School District is yet to confirm the $13 million settlement. Chris Eftychious reported:

“The school district and its insurance carriers have been in negotiations on a settlement, but because we have not seen or ratified an agreement, we cannot discuss the details.”

He continued:

“Settlements like these include language that there is no admission of liability on the district’s part. However, we again share our sincerest condolences with everyone who was impacted by this terrible event.”

On Wednesday, Carrillo spoke to Law & Crime, stating:

“The terms themselves have not been completely finalized for a written settlement agreement, but the District has agreed to pay $13 million.”

Manuela's family and sued the school district for negligence, (Image via @NDPercy/Twitter)

Authorities further revealed that Eddie Gonzalez currently faces charges of murder. However, he maintains his innocence. Shortly after the incident in 2021, Eddie was fired by the school district and was arrested in connection with the tragic shooting. He allegedly violated the “use-of-force” policy of the district. In December 2021, Manuela Rodriguez’s mother sued Eddie alleging wrongful death, excessive force, negligence, and civil rights violations.

In a press conference, Manuela’s mum said that she “lost her best friend” when she died. She also stated that Rodriguez’s two-year-old son has to grow up without his mother.