Police release a sketch in the search for the murderer of a 7-year-old child during an "unprovoked" attack

Jan. 4, 2019 / 01h44 GMT

From Phil Helsel

The Houston area law enforcement forces released Thursday the sketch of a man suspected of having opened the fire on a car Sunday, killing 7 years

"We will not rest before justice is returned to Jazmine," said Harris County Sheriff, Ed Gonzalez, at a point on Thursday.

Seven-year-old Jazmine Barnes was shot dead Sunday morning An armed man described as a white man in his thirties or forties opened fire on the car in which she was with her mother and siblings while he was heading to a shop around 6:50 am, the sheriff's office announced.

black, and the shootings made some community members, including the mother, fear that this may have been motivated by racial considerations.

An unresolved shooting in 2017 at about 6 miles away also involved a white suspect and a black victim who had survived, but so far no direct link has been found between the cases, said the sheriff.

Gonzalez Thursday referred to these concerns and said, "We are not deaf to the concerns of many communities of color who think they might be targeted. happens, it could happen. "

He stated that the purpose was to identify the shooter, "this coward", who had killed Jazmine, and looking for the van that he was driving.

"We are also working on all the other tracks we can develop, including the previous cases," said the sheriff, who had previously called the shooting "unprovoked and senseless". [19659007] The sheriff's office also released Thursday a new surveillance video from a nearby company showing the red truck allegedly driven by the shooter.

Earlier Thursday, Jazmine's mother, LaPorsha Washington, told reporters that she thought the shooter would turn into himself. in. [19659007] "His conscience will finally reach him," said LaPorsha Washington, also shot and wounded. "After seeing so many times the face of my child on his television, he goes away, he will surrender."

Jazmine's sister, aged 6, was injured by shards of glass during the shooting.

Lee Merritt, a family attorney, disputed previous information that the suspect was wearing a beard, claiming Thursday that there may have been stubble but no beard.

Jazmine's sister, aged 15, who was in the car at the time shooting, told reporters Thursday that the shooter was white with blue eyes and was wearing a hooded sweatshirt . "I could not see her hair, nothing like it," she said.

The mother stated that she and her children had done nothing to provoke the shooting and that she thought it could be a crime motivated by hate.

stated that she did not know how many shots had been fired, "but I know that he finished his clip" and that he "emptied his weapon; know well."

Gonzalez said Thursday that the investigators were taking a second look at the unresolved shooting of 2017.

"We are not prepared to say that there is no link, but also that we are very cautious, we have not found a direct link at this stage, "said Gonzalez. "But I just want to be careful and not surprise people and believe that there is necessarily a serial shooter," he said.

The murder sparked a wave of support and a reward of $ 100,000 was raised as part of an effort under the leadership of civil rights activist Shaun King.

The Great Shaquille O 'Neal of the NBA and a police officer in Houston The officers also intervened to cover the costs of the funeral.

KPRC, an affiliate of the Houston-based NBC, announced that senior police officers from O & # 39; Neal and Houston, Kenneth Miles, had deposited a cash check to cover the costs of Jazmine's funeral , scheduled for Tuesday noon at Green House International Church.

Miles told the station that O 'Neal was in Houston and that the two men had decided to intervene and help. "You can imagine if one of your children or your loved ones was the victim," Miles told the chain.

DeAndre Hopkins catcher of the Houston Texans series, announced Thursday on Twitter Playoff check to support Jazmine's family.

"When I see the face of Jazmine Barnes, I see my own daughter, I promise my playoff check this week to help her family cover the funeral costs," and to support the award, Hopkins 26, writes he. "It's the least I can do, it's to help you," Hopkins told reporters Thursday in a video posted on the team's website. "I have a 5 year old daughter … that could have been anyone in this position."

He added, "It could have been anyone, you know, who is in this city, so it's just too bad."

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.