Shaquille O’Neal has reportedly offered to help pay for Jazmine Barnes’ funeral, which will take place Tuesday. (Jan. 8) O’Neal is following in the footsteps of Houston Texan wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins who said announced
The four-time NBA champion presented Jazmine’s family with a cashiers check. This isn’t the first time O’Neal has helped a family in need. In April 2017, O’Neal also covered the expenses of Atlanta teen Malachi Hemphill, who accidentally killed himself on Instagram Live.
On Dec. 30, 7-year-old Jazmine, along with her sibling and mother LaPorsha Washington, drove to get coffee when two men opened fire shooting LaPorsha in the arm and killing Jazmine.
@houstonpolice Officer Kenneth Miles and @SHAQ join forces to cover funeral expenses for 7 year old #JazmineBarnes, the girl shot and killed while riding in a car with her mother and sisters. @kprc2 pic.twitter.com/awv7gtlBQ8
— Brandon Walker (@KPRC2Brandon) January 3, 2019
Initial reports of Jazmine’s death detailed the shooter was a white man in his 40s. However, on Saturday (Jan. 6) suspects Eric Black Jr, 20 and Larry Woodruffe, 24, were brought into custody without incident. Black, who drove the vehicle, has been charged with capital murder. Woodruffe who sat in the passenger will likely be charged Monday. (Jan. 7)
“That could have been anyone in my family,” Hopkins said.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Jazmine and her mother, LaPorsha Washington were not the intended targets.
“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.”
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