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.