Reward increased to $30K to help track down ‘cowardly’ road rage shooter of 9-year-old, mayor announces

HOUSTON – Authorities are on a mission to help find the shooter who critically injured a 9-year-old girl in a road rage incident on Highway 59.

Ashanti Grant is fighting for her life, but still remains in a medically-induced coma, police said.

A joint news conference was held Monday involving Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, representatives from CrimeStoppers of Houston and the victim’s family.

“I cannot even imagine what they are going through, but we are certainly asking this city to pray for this entire family,” Turner began. “She [Ashanti] is fighting boldly and we want to pray for her in a very special, special way.”

Then, he got tough, making it known that they are pulling out all the stops to hunt down the criminal who hurt her.

“Her young life has been altered forever by a cowardly act, and I underscore that by someone, a criminal driving our streets and freeways thinking he or she is above the law and, quite frankly, acting with a callous disregard for human life,” Turner said. “We know someone knows who committed this act.”

Turner advises the person, or persons, who committed this act to turn themselves in because they won’t stop until justice is served.

“Today we are announcing an increased reward of $30,000 for information leading to the charging and/ or arrest of the felony suspect,” Turner said. “When things happen to our kids, we will go the extra step, the extra mile to find you because we are talking about our children.”

The increased reward came from Houston businessman Tillman Fertitta who donated $25,000 to Crime Stoppers.

Mayor Turner also asked Houston Transtar and other entities to begin recording traffic cameras as an aid to monitor criminal activity.

RELATED: 9-year-old girl shot in head while riding with family on Southwest Freeway, HPD says

Ashanti was shot in the head while riding in the back seat of her family’s SUV while on the Southwest Freeway near Fondren Road on the night of Feb. 8.

Chief Finner said Ashanti’s father described the possible suspect as a man aged 20-30 years old who drove a white GMC Denali pickup truck with a possible female passenger.

“The best thing you can do is to turn yourself in,” he said as a message to the suspect. “We will use every possible resource and our law enforcement partners and we will come after you.”