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LaPorsha Washington, center, mother of her seven year old daughter Jazmine Barnes, killed Sunday, addresses the crowd at a community rally in Walmart outside on Saturday, January 5, 2019 in Houston. Jazmine was shot dead Sunday in the neighboring area while she was aboard a car with her mother and three sisters. (Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle via AP)
HOUSTON – Texas authorities charged a 20-year-old man with shooting a seven-year-old black girl who had been killed while driving a vehicle with her car. family.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office announced Sunday morning that Eric Black Jr. was accused of murder in the death of Jazmine Barnes. Investigators have identified Black as a suspect after receiving a tip, the office said in a statement.
"The investigators do not think that Jazmine's family is the target of the shooting," the statement said. "They may have been shot down as a result of an error of identity."
Jazmine was shot dead in Houston on December 30, after the authorities reported that a suspect had intercepted the vehicle in which the girl was lying and opened fire. Jazmine died on the scene, while her mother was hit on the arm. The shooting took place as the family headed for the store.
After his arrest in Harris County, eastern Harris County, the sheriff's office said Black admitted to taking part in the shooting. Officials also said investigators were investigating the possibility of other people being charged in this case.
On Saturday afternoon, the sheriff's office said on Twitter that the investigation had "taken a new direction." The message was not clarified and the sheriff's office did not immediately respond to telephone messages.
Jazmine's mother, LaPorsha Washington, said she thought the shooting was racist in nature. The alleged gunman had previously been described as a white man in a red truck, but the sheriff's office did not immediately identify Black's race.
Hundreds of people gathered Saturday afternoon for a rally for the girl near where the shooting took place. People have brandished balloons and stuffed animals, as well as placards bearing the inscription "Justice for Jazmine".
A $ 100,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest in the Jazmine case.
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