On February 7, 2025, a birthday celebration for Brendan Rooney, husband of former Disney Channel star Christy Carlson Romano, took an unfortunate turn. The event, held at a clay pigeon shooting range in Austin, Texas, resulted in Romano being hit in the face by pellets fired from another party’s gun.
According to a post on Romano’s Instagram, she had taken her husband to the range as a birthday gift. However, another group present fired their gun recklessly, resulting in the 40-year-old actress being hit in five places, one of which narrowly missed her right eye.
Rooney, who was celebrating his 42nd birthday, rushed his wife to an Austin hospital. Medical staff discovered a fragment behind her eye, which was deemed too hazardous to remove surgically. Romano’s vision remains unimpaired, but she is under ongoing medical observation. The medical team carefully cleaned and examined each wound, particularly around her right eye and forehead where fragments were embedded.
Despite the severity of the incident, Romano demonstrated resilience throughout her recovery. She had previously showcased this trait on “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” a reality show featuring celebrities in rigorous military-style training exercises. This experience may have equipped her to handle this unforeseen adversity.
Romano’s career in entertainment spans over 20 years and includes her breakthrough role in “Even Stevens” (2000-2003) and as the voice of “Kim Possible” (2002-2007), earning her a Daytime Emmy nomination. Romano is a mother to two daughters, Isabella Victoria, 8, and Sophia Elizabeth, 5. She released a video showing her injuries, including a cut beneath her eye and visible bruising from the pellet impacts.
She expressed gratitude for the medical professionals who treated her injuries, acknowledging their critical role in her care. Romano’s husband, whom she met at Barnard College and has been married to for 11 years, expressed his love and admiration for his wife in response to the incident.
The shooting range where the incident occurred is known for clay pigeon shooting, a sport where participants shoot at clay discs launched into the air to mimic birds’ flight. The range usually accommodates all levels of shooters, from beginners to veterans, and follows strict safety protocols to prevent mishaps.
Despite the seriousness of her injuries, Romano kept a sense of humor during her recovery. She jokingly told her husband that she believed she was saved so she could tell him to clean up his empty cans around the house. In a recent video update, she said, “Everything’s kinda clearing out, but got to say I got shot in the face and lived to tell the tale.” Rooney subsequently shared the video on his Instagram Stories with a simple message: “Kiss your loved ones.”
