Newark native Shaquille O’Neal to help pay for funeral of slain 7-year-old girl in Texas – NJ.com

Newark native and former NBA basketball star Shaquille O’Neal and a Houston police officer are covering the costs of a funeral for a 7-year-old girl shot and killed in a roadway shooting in Texas on Sunday, according to Click2Houston.com.

On Sunday, The Associated Press reported a man in a pickup truck pulled up next to a car leaving the Texas Walmart parking lot and started shooting, killing 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes inside the car and wounding the girl’s mother.

Three other girls were in the car, but it wasn’t immediately clear if they are related to the woman, who authorities say was shot in the arm.

Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins tweeted that he would be dedicating Saturday’s playoff game to Jazmine and donating his check from the game to help the family.

The story has garnered national attention, including a $100,000 reward being offered by New York City activist Shaun King to the person who turns in the gunman.

On Twitter and Facebook, Houston’s Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez identified Barnes and her mother, 30-year-old LaPorsha Washington, who was shot in the arm.

Washington told KTRK-TV from her hospital bed that the gunman sped up after firing into her car, only to pull in front and slow down before firing again.

“He intentionally killed my child for no reason,” Washington said to KTRK-TV. “He didn’t even know her, he didn’t know who she was.”

Authorities have not identified a motive.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.