Harris County Sheriff The suspects arrested in the Jazmine Barnes shooting are seen in mugshots on the left next to a sketch released by police.
After two men, both African-American, were arrested in the shooting of 7-year-old black girl Jazmine Barnes in Harris County, Texas, questions have been raised about the police and witness description of the shooter being a white man. That description, and a sketch released by police, led to widespread speculation that the shooting was racially motivated or committed as a hate crime. Authorities now say they believe the gunmen were targeting another person or persons and mistakenly opened fire on the car Jazmine and her family were driving, killing the young girl.
On Saturday, two men, Eric Black Jr., 20, and Larry Woodruffe, 24, were taken into custody in connection to the shooting. Both will be facing murder charges.
The suspect was previously described as a middle-aged white man driving a red pick-up truck. That description was provided on the day of the killing. Subsequently, witnesses, who were identified as the girls in the car, provided a description to a police sketch artist who created a composite. That composite, along with video of a red pick up truck in the vicinity, became the basis for the manhunt for the white male suspect. Many are now charging that the false witness description is problematic at best and concocted at worst.
Investigators have received many potential leads since releasing the suspect sketch in the Jazmine Barnes murder case. We are unable to comment on any of these specific tips at this time, and we urge those w/info to call @CrimeStopHOU 713-222-TIPS or 713-221-6000. #hounews
Comments on the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, Twitter accounts, and the Twitter accounts of activist and journalist Shaun King, who “joined the search” for the killer when he first offered a $25,000 reward, have blasted law-enforcement but specifically targeted the family, LaPorsha Washington in particular, who was quoted as saying that the truck stopped and fired into her vehicle. It’s reported that one of the witnesses claims to have looked the suspect in the eye and identified the suspect as a white male. Now that the suspects have been identified as to African-American males in their 20s, many are questioning the initial description.
King has addressed it on Twitter.
King said, “After Woodruff & Black shot & killed Jazmine Barnes, 4 credible independent eyewitnesses heard the shooting and saw a white man in a red truck speed off.
It appears that man was an innocent bystander who fled, actually fearing for his life as well. He was not the shooter.”
He added, “It took us from Thursday to Sunday to truly understand this case.”
A family member took to Instagram to thank King and all who worked to find Jazmine’s killers:
Still, some had questions and concerns.
@shaunking @SheriffEd_HCSO Do we still think this was racially motivated??? This is why there is a divide in our society. There was a rush to judgment w/o presenting any accurate facts. We all need to do better.
“Do we still think this was racially motivated??? This is why there is a divide in our society. There was a rush to judgment w/o presenting any accurate facts. We all need to do better.”
But even as many shared a similar sentiment, others reminded that the initial description which came in the hours right after the shooting, was based on witness accounts and police first shared that description and it was from there that the manhunt for the suspect proceeded.
@jdiesel1983 @shaunking @SheriffEd_HCSO The fact that a journalist & team of people had to get involved in a public campaign to identify the truth about the murder of a child of colour is already speaking volumes, regardless of the perpetrators. Don’t try to claim this as a point for ‘racism is exaggerated’ please.
“The fact that a journalist & team of people had to get involved in a public campaign to identify the truth about the murder of a child of colour is already speaking volumes, regardless of the perpetrators. Don’t try to claim this as a point for ‘racism is exaggerated’ please.”
“I hope the focus remains on a little girl losing her life. If people feel ‘let down’ or ‘elated’ because the race of the suspect may be different, some soul searching may be in order. This is about a senseless tragedy….not about us,” said another Twitter user in response to the sheriff’s office.
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