As authorities in Texas investigate what prompted a weekend drive-by shooting that killed a seven-year-old girl, Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said Thursday he would dedicate his playoff check to help the child's family with the funeral costs.
Jazmine Barnes was leaving a Walmart parking lot in northeast Houston with her mother, 30-year-old LaPorsha Washington, and her three sisters, when a man driving a red pickup truck pulled up next to their vehicle and started shooting at around 7 a.m. on Sunday, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Jazmine died at the scene and her mother was transported to the hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the arm.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In a post on Twitter, Hopkins said that when he sees Barnes' face, "I see my own daughter."
"I'm pledging my playoff check this week to help her family with funeral costs and to support Shaun King, Ed Gonzalez (and Mayor) Sylvester Turner in bringing this man to justice. On Saturday, I will be playing in your honor, Jazmine," he wrote.
The Texans play the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, when a community rally for Barnes is also expected to be held, according to FOX26.
On Wednesday, Houston activists held a news conference, saying they believed the attack was racially motivated and pointed to an unsolved incident in the area in 2017 in which a suspect described as white shot into a vehicle carrying at least two black people.
"Black people are being targeted in this country. Black people are being targeted in this county. Black people are being targeted in this city," activist Deric Muhammad said. "So we are thoroughly convinced that the killing of Jazmine Barnes was race related."
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez speaks during a news conference, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, in Houston. (Nicole Hensley/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said during a separate news conference that the investigation into the shooting is focused on collecting evidence and developing leads. A determination on motive will come later.
"We're not tone deaf to some of the concerns in our community where this could be potentially race-related," Gonzalez said, explaining that road rage could be another consideration. But he added that he doesn't want speculation on a possible motive to limit the scope of an investigation that has one primary aim: finding the shooter.
Christopher Cevilla, father of 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes, speaks during a news conference, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, in Houston. (Nicole Hensley/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The sheriff added that investigators are "not ruling anything out."
TEXAS OFFICIALS HAVE IMAGE OF PICKUP INVOLVED IN ATTACK
Authorities are searching for a white, bearded man who was driving a red, four-door pickup captured on surveillance video shortly before the shooting in the eastern outskirts of Houston.
This photo provided by the Harris County Sheriff's Office shows an image taken from surveillance video of a pickup whose driver, according to authorities, fired several shots into a car carrying a family, killing a 7-year-old girl and wounding the child's mother, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, in the Houston area. (Courtesy of Harris County Sheriff's Office via AP)
The driver of the pickup pulled alongside Washington's car and fired inside, authorities have said.
Gonzalez said his office is revisiting the 2017 case as part of the investigation into Jazmine's death. He has described Sunday's shooting as "totally unprovoked" and asked people who live nearby to review their surveillance videos.
The killing of the seven-year-old has drawn national attention, including that of celebrities.
Olivia Wilde and Gabrielle Union have been vocal on social media to draw attention to the case. Union tweeted, "Find him! This evil monster must be stopped!"
Fox News' Nicole Darrah and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
