Texas law enforcement officers are asking for help in identifying the gunman behind the fatal shooting of a 7-year-old who was sitting in the back of her mother’s vehicle over the holiday weekend.
Harris County, Texas officials are encouraging locals and businesses to review their surveillance footage, if they have any, to help narrow the search for the man behind second-grader Jazmine Barnes’ shooting death, according to the New York Daily News.
Jazmine was killed Sunday morning while traveling in her mom’s car with her mother and three sisters. According to reports, a man pulled up next to the family and fired off several shots. Jazmine died at the scene.
“As I turned around and looked back at the street, I heard shots start firing and they came through my window, broke my glass, and hit me in my arm. They sped off in front of us and the truck slowed down and continued to fire as he was in front of us,” Jazmine’s mom, LaPorsha Washington told news station KTRK.
When the shooting was over, it was another one of her daughter’s that brought to her attention that Jazmine was no longer responding.
“She said, ‘Momma, Jazmine’s not moving. She’s not talking.’ I turned around and my 7-year-old was shot in the head,” Washington recalled.
“It was not fair. It was not fair. He intentionally killed my child for no reason. He didn’t even know her, he didn’t know who she was,” the grieving mother added.
Police say that a suspect was described thus far as a white man with a beard who appears to be in his 40s and was driving a four-door red pickup truck at the time of the shooting. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez acknowledged during a press conference earlier this week that police think the shooting “was totally unprovoked.”
Update on Wallisville: deceased child is 7 year old, may she Rest In Peace. Suspected shooter described as white male, 40s, a beard, driving a red truck. If you know anything please contact us asap. We need our communities help. cc: @CrimeStopHOU#HouNews
“We need to make sure we get this killer off the streets,” Gonzalez said.
Jazmine’s family is also encouraging the public to share anything they know.
“I just want anybody, whoever, out there that knows anything about the murder of my daughter, to just please step up as if it was your own,” Christopher Cevilla, Jazmine’s father, said on Monday, according to CNN. “Just put yourself in my shoes, in my family’s shoes.”
The family has started a GoFundMe campaign to help with expenses during this time. That campaign has raised $11,849, almost double the original goal of $6,500 in a mere two days.
Activists alike have also joined the search, with journalist Shaun King, alongside civil rights attorney Lee Merrit, both of whom have come together to offer a $35,000 reward for anyone who can turn in the shooter.
https://twitter.com/shaunking/status/1080190348826009600
