Texas man admits part in killing of 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes, gets out on bond
Eric Black Jr., says he and his accomplice thought they were firing at another car when they hit the vehicle carrying the little girl and her family
The suspect charged in the murder of 7-year-old Houston-area girl Jazmine Barnes is out on bond despite admitting his part in the alleged homicide.
Eric Black Jr., 20, of Texas was released on June 25, a day after his bond was lowered from $500,000 to $150,000, Fox News reports. Black is being charged with capital murder in the deadly shooting of Barnes that occurred on Dec. 30. The child and her three sisters were travelling in a car with their mother, LaPorsha Washington, at about 7 a.m., when they were involved in a fatal drive-by shooting.
READ MORE: The Confusing Case of Jazmine Barnes, Explained
Black was arrested in January after civil rights activist Shaun King tipped off Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez about the suspect and his cohort, 24-year-old Larry Woodruffe’s involvement in the shooting. Black later admitted his part in the shooting and authorities believe Woodruffe was the shooter, according to KPRC.
Prior to King obtaining information that led to the arrest of the two suspects, police believed the shooter was a thin white male in his 30s or 40s who drove a red pickup truck. King had posted on social media the initial description, which turned out to be erroneous. The person who had been fingered was likely a witness. Gonzalez later called it a case of mistaken identify.
“I am grateful to our dedicated investigators, the partner law enforcement agencies that provided vital assistance, and tipsters from across the nation who pulled together to support our work to get justice for Jazmine,” Gonzalez said after the suspects were arrested. “Our work is not finished, but I believe the people of Harris County can take comfort in knowing we have made great progress.”
Black and Woodruffe reportedly confessed that they thought they fired upon someone they had an argument with at a club the previous night. After the shooting, Washington says she “turned around and my 7-year-old was shot in the head.”
“This just went down very quickly,” Gonzalez said. “When the gunfire erupted, we are talking about small children, they witnessed something very traumatic. And it’s very likely the last thing they did see was that red truck and the driver in that truck.”
READ MORE: Grieving father of Jazmine Barnes speaks on the arrest of two suspects in fatal shooting
Barnes’ story made national headlines and caught the attention of several celebrities, including Houston Texans wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, who donated his playoff game check to the family back in January.
“I have a 5-year-old daughter, so that could have been anybody in that position on this team,” said Hopkins. “It could have been anybody who is in this city, so it’s just unfortunate. I felt in my heart, it’s the only right way to give back to those who are down. Man, it’s a tough situation for that to happen.”
