Houston Texans' DeAndre Hopkins donates playoff check to cover funeral costs for Jazmine Barnes
Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has pledged to donate his football playoff game check to the family of Jazmine Barnes, a 7-year-old girl who was fatally shot while riding in a car with her mother and three sisters Sunday morning.
Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal and a Houston police officer have also donated money to cover the costs of the girl's funeral, reports television station KPRC.
Authorities are searching for a white man who was driving a red, four-door pickup captured on surveillance video shortly before the shooting. They said driver of the pickup pulled alongside the family's car in a Walmart parking lot on the eastern outskirts of Houston and fired inside. Jazmine died at the scene and her mother, LaPorsha Washington, suffered a gunshot wound to the arm.
Hopkins tweeted on Thursday that he would offer up his check this week to help her family with funeral costs and to support efforts to bring the girl's killer to justice. ESPN reported the check is worth $29,000.
Hopkins also said that he would dedicate his game on Saturday, when the Texans will play the Indianapolis Colts, to Jazmine.
"When I see Jazmine Barnes' face, I see my own daughter," Hopkins tweeted.
When I see Jazmine 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 @shaunking @SherriffED_HCSO @SylvesterTurner in bringing this man to justice. On Saturday, I will be playing in your honor, Jazmine pic.twitter.com/oCRYSgfGO9
— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) January 3, 2019
Civil Rights attorney Lee Merritt and activist Shaun King have raised a $100,000 reward for information leading police to the girl's killer. The service is scheduled for Tuesday.