SAN DIEGO — A preliminary hearing began Monday morning in the October 2023 shooting that left a Lincoln High School cheerleader paralyzed.
The victim, 17-year-old Brianna Wallace, attended the hearing in a wheelchair. Her mother and friend were by her side.
"I'm feeling okay, I'm getting used to adjusting to this chapter in my life," said Wallace. "I'm not angry, I'm just, it is what it is. I just hope they get what they deserve."
Wallace came to court wearing a sweatshirt that read: "Brianna Strong. Lincoln. End Gun Violence."
The defendants, Juan Diaz Velazco and Kenneth Hill, are represented by public defenders. The judge ordered the media not to show their faces on television, over potential identity issues.
Investigators said Wallace was an innocent bystander leaving a party back near the 4400 block of Winona when she was caught in the crosshairs of gang-related gunfire. Investigators said a fight led to the shooting. Wallace was hit in the upper back.
Wallace will not be called as a witness for this hearing, according to Deputy District Attorney Kyle Sutterly. He said he will be calling five witnesses, including four police officers and one sheriff's deputy.
The first witness called to the stand was Sean McDonald, a San Diego County Sheriff's Deputy. He was off-duty, dropping off a friend in that neighborhood, when he testified he heard several gunshots, and someone yelling an expletive and "East Side."
Deputy DA Sutterly said the hearing could go as long as two days. Once it has wrapped up, a judge will determine if there's enough evidence to send this case to trial.
Watch Related: San Diego activist says niece shot and paralyzed at a weekend party (Nov 1, 2023)