Shots of Jazmine Barnes: Police arrest a suspect in a possible case of false identity.



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Eric Black Jr. faces a charge of murder in the death of Jazmine. The sophomore was in a car with her mother and three sisters when she was shot in the head on the morning of December 30th.

Before the arrest, the police had released a sketch of the suspect based on the descriptions of Jazmine's mother three sisters. Authorities said the drawing depicted a white man in his forties.

S. Lee Merritt, a lawyer who advises the Barnes family, said the arrest "was good news for the family".

"At the same time, the family was in shock," Merritt told CNN Sunday morning. "Until now, at least four independent witnesses and a composite schema had identified the main suspect as being a white man aged about 40 years old."

While it may be difficult to understand the discrepancy, "it is conceivable that witnesses confuse a fleeing spectator for the shooter," Merritt tweeted.

A possible case of mistaken identity

  Jazmine Barnes was a sophomore at Houston's Monahan Elementary School.

Shortly After the assassination of Jazmine, the sheriff's office and his mother said that the shooting seemed unjust. Just as the suspect was avoiding the authorities, so was the motive.

Authorities now claim that the shooter may have tried to fire on someone else.

"At that time, the investigators do not think that Jazmine's family was the target of the shootings and that she would have been affected as a result of an error in her identity. "said the sheriff's office.

"Investigators continue to look for evidence that could eventually lead to further charges in this case."

How a morning coffee became tragic

  Jazmine's mother describes the moments following the murder

The morning of Jazmine's death, she and her sisters were still in their pajamas while their mother went to Joe V's Smart Shop to buy breakfast supplies.

Around 7:00 am, a man drove up beside their car and opened fire, said Jazmine's mother, LaPorsha Washington.

Washington, 30, was shot in the arm, while Jazmine's sister, aged 6, was hit by a broken glass. The two teenage sisters of Jazmine were not injured.

But a few minutes later, Jazmine is pronounced dead.

A Moment of Support

Hundreds of mourners gathered Saturday in front of the Walmart near the scene of Jazmine's assassination.

Washington, still recovering from the gunshot wound, thanked everyone who had come to honor his daughter. She said Jazmine would have celebrated her birthday next month.

"I tell you, every time I see one of you reach out, I can raise my head," she said. "I can get up in the morning."

The tragedy of Jazmine's death had a national impact.

More than 2,700 people made a donation to a GoFundMe organization created to cover funeral expenses for Jazmine and his family. The Houston Texans catcher, DeAndre Hopkins, has announced that he will give his playoff play check to the family.

Jazmine will also be remembered on Tuesday at the Justice for Jazmine Barnes community rally honoring "all murdered victims in Houston / Harris County," organizers said.

Services to Jazmine are scheduled to begin at 10 am Tuesday with a visit to Green House International Church. His funeral is at noon. People in mourning are planning to release purple balloons – Jazmine's favorite color.

Kaylee Hartung and Ray Sanchez of CNN contributed to this report.

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