A mother is facing another setback after one of the suspects in a road rage shooting that left her daughter paralyzed has postponed his trial.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) — A mother is dealing with renewed frustration after a suspect in a road rage incident that paralyzed her young daughter requested a delay in his trial.
Onyx Sands was just six years old when the shooting occurred. Her mother, Chyna Sands, told WAVE she wishes the ordeal was finally over.
“No matter how strong I might appear, or how inspiring we might be, it doesn’t take away from the fact that this is still hard,” said Chyna.
Now eight years old, Onyx appears as a cheerful and energetic child. However, she has relied on a wheelchair for nearly three years.
Chyna explained that what people see publicly only reflects part of their reality.
“People don’t see the behind-the-scenes when we’re at celebrations, and all the kids run outside to jump on the trampoline and Onyx can’t, or all the kids run downstairs to play and Onyx can’t,” she said.
The incident occurred in July 2023 while Onyx was riding in a car with her father, two stepbrothers, and stepmother.
Her stepmother was driving on I-65 and attempted to avoid three motorcyclists weaving through traffic.
Police identified the motorcyclists as Edward Sark, Shelby Bisconer, and Jonathan Rivera. A bullet fired from one of the motorcycles struck Onyx, severing her spine.
Investigators believe Sark fired the shot. His trial was originally set to begin Tuesday, but he requested a delay until November, which a judge approved.
“We went last week and did trial prep, and so they asked her questions, and that’s her reliving that situation all over again, so now we’re gonna have to do that again,” Chyna said.
Bisconer has changed her plea to guilty, while Rivera has requested a new attorney.
This is not the first delay in the case, and Chyna said she is ready for closure.
“Are we looking at the same case? Are we all on the same page that an innocent six-year-old was shot and paralyzed and that she’s confined to a chair now? So, I just don’t…I don’t understand why we haven’t wrapped this up, why there hasn’t been justice,” she said.
Onyx, now in third grade, told WAVE that school is going well, but she also wants the situation resolved.
When asked what should happen to the suspects, she replied, “Go to jail.” When her mother asked how long, Onyx answered “40 years,” while Chyna added, “I want them gone forever.”
Edward Sark’s trial is now scheduled for November. Shelby Bisconer will also be sentenced in November.
A judge has approved Rivera’s request to remove his attorney. He remains on house arrest and is scheduled to return to court on May 4 for a status hearing.
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