Funeral details released for 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes

HOUSTON – Details for the funeral of 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes have been released along with information about a community rally that will also be taking place.

The rally will be held Saturday at noon in the parking lot of Walmart near the Beltway 8 feeder road and Wallisville Road, where Barnes was killed in a drive-by shooting.

Barnes' funeral will be the following Tuesday at Community of Faith Church at 1024 Pinemont Drive. There will be a viewing at 10 a.m. and the funeral will start at noon followed by a balloon release.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted, "Will not rest until we find Justice For Jazmine. Our HCSO team is working hard to bring closure to her family. Jazmine would soon be celebrating another birthday, instead, her funeral is being planned. No words. Thank u (sic) Shaun King (and) Pastor Deckard & all our community (for) support."

The 7-year-old's death has caught the attention of people across the nation including a community activist in New York City, who has offered a large sum of money to whoever turns in her killer.

Shaun King said he is raising the reward for anyone who turns in the man responsible for the slaying of Barnes.

The reward money started at $25,000 and is now at $100,000 thanks to donations from private parties.

King also released more details about the gunman on his Twitter.

"I have an updated description of the murderer of Jazmine Barnes from a confirmed eyewitness," King tweeted. "1) He wore glasses. 2) In his 40's 3) Beard was both black and white. Not shabby, but trimmed. 4) Not heavy set, less than 200 pounds, but had a belly."

King shared new photos and videos of Barnes on Twitter Wednesday along with a post saying the family wanted him to share the images of Barnes and that he was joining in on the search to find her killer.

"A 40-year-old white man with a beard in a red pickup truck pulled up on 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes and her family near a Houston Walmart and shot and killed her and injured others. (Barnes' family) asked me to share these wonderful recent images of her with her dad and family. She was loved and treasured and valued. We will not stop until we find her killer," King tweeted. "I am joining the search for her killer and have a $25,000 reward."

He later shared another tweet that upped the reward to $35,000, saying he had the money in cash and anyone with information that could lead to an arrest could contact him or HCSO confidentially in order to leave a tip and possibly claim the reward.

Gonzalez thanked King for his help in the investigation. 

“We appreciate Mr. King’s efforts to get these monies together to be able to help and raise more awareness,” said Gonzalez. “We’re doing everything possible, working around the clock to get this solved. And we will solve it. we’re not gonna stop until it gets resolved. It's just a matter of going through (the tips), which we are and obviously, some are going to be a little more credible than others, but we welcome all phone calls and we’re going to track everything down.”  

Barnes was shot and killed and her mother, 30-year-old LaPorsha Washington, was wounded about 7 a.m. Sunday.

Investigators said the family’s vehicle was traveling on the Beltway 8 feeder road near Wallisville Road when a red pickup pulled alongside and someone in the truck began shooting.

Gonzalez said his detectives are working around the clock to find the person who killed the Sheldon Independent School District second-grader.

"He took away an innocent child and she didn’t deserve this at all," Washington said while recovering in a hospital bed. "We did not deserve this. I don’t know what was going on, why he did this. But we did not deserve anything that this man did to us."

Washington was released from the hospital Tuesday night but is still recovering.