A Houston man was charged with capital murder in the death of Jazmine Barnes, a 7-year-old black girl killed in a drive-by shooting that ignited racially charged outrage.



Eric Black Jr., 20, admitted involvement in the shooting Dec. 30, apparently the result of mistaken identity, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Sunday. Black, who is African-American, was arrested without incident by investigators following up on a tip sent to journalist and activist Shaun King, Gonzalez said.

In court Sunday, prosecutors said Black admitted he was driving a Kia SUV when a passenger identified as “Larry” fired on a car driven by Jazmine's mother, LaPorsha Washington.

Jazmine died instantly. Washington, 30, was shot in the arm but survived. Another child suffered injuries from shattered glass. Two other children were uninjured.

Gonzalez declined to confirm whether the alleged shooter was in custody, but he said it was likely charges would be filed against a second suspect.

"All evidence gathered so far in the Jazmine Barnes homicide case supports investigators’ strong belief that she and her family were innocent victims," the sheriff's office tweeted.

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Authorities had said they were searching for a white man driving a red pickup. Washington said she believed the shooting was racially motivated.

Gonzalez said video from near the scene indicated that a red pickup was nearby.

"We do not believe in any way that the family was involved in anything nefarious," he said. "You are talking about small children, they witnessed something very traumatic. Very likely the last thing they saw was the red truck."

Lee Merritt, a prominent civil rights lawyer representing the family, said authorities identified Larry and he is also black.

"It is possible the previously identified suspect seen fleeing by several independent witnesses was a bystander attempting to escape the shooting," Merritt said on Instagram.

The tragedy prompted a hashtag #JusticeforJazmine on social media. Merritt and King helped spearhead a reward drive of more than $100,000 for information leading to an arrest. It was not immediately revealed who, if anyone, would collect the reward.

A GoFundMe page set up by Washington seeking $6,500 for expenses related to the tragedy drew more than $75,000. Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins donated his game check from Saturday's AFC wild-card game to the family to help cover funeral expenses.

The arrest came hours after a rally Saturday near a Houston Walmart that drew hundreds of supporters for Jazmine and her family. The rally took place near the scene of the shooting.

The arrest occurred after Black was pulled over Saturday for failing to use a turn signal during a lane change, the Houston Chronicle reported. Deputies searching the car found pot and soon determined that he was a suspect in Jazmine's murder, the newspaper reported.

Black waived his right to remain silent and told authorities his story of the night Jazmine was shot. He said he and "Larry" had been driving around when they spotted a car they thought they recognized from earlier in the night.

It was Larry who allegedly fired out the window as the pair drove by, and they didn't realize they'd targeted the wrong people until they saw news reports, the Chronicle said, citing prosecutors.

Gonzalez said the investigation was continuing. Mayor Sylvester Turner said the arrest should serve as a warning to all violent offenders that "the color of your skin, how much money you make" don't matter to law enforcement in a manhunt.

"It’s now my hope that justice will prevail and that Jazmine’s family will find some comfort knowing the alleged gunman is off the street," he said.

Contributing: The Associated Press