Houston-area police shift gears in Jazmine Barnes case, say shooting death of 7-year-old case of mistaken identity
Police say Eric Black Jr. admitted to 'taking part in the shooting' on December 30 when Jazmine Barnes, her two sisters and their mother were shot at in their vehicle.
HOUSTON – Activists are praising Houston area law enforcement for pursuing a tip that led to the arrest of an African-American man in the fatal drive-by shooting of a 7-year-old black girl.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced Sunday that prosecutors had charged 20-year-old Eric Black Jr. with capital murder in the death of Jazmine Barnes on Dec. 30.
Gonzalez says the killing was not a hate crime, as asserted by some in the community, but a case of mistaken identity.
He says a second suspect has been identified, also black, but declined to say if the person is in custody.
The tip came from a New York-based social activist and writer who had helped raise money for a reward leading to information in the case.
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