WR Hopkins dedicates game to slain 7-year-old
Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has dedicated Saturday’s game to Jazmine Barnes, a 7-year-old girl who was killed Sunday in a drive-by shooting in Houston.
“On Saturday, I will be playing in your honor, Jazmine,” the three-time Pro Bowler tweeted Thursday.
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
Hopkins said he will donate his $29,000 playoff check to help pay for funeral costs and said he would join in the effort to bring Barnes’ killer to justice.
“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,” he wrote.
The girl was killed when a man in a pickup truck pulled up next to Barnes’ mother’s car and started firing. Jazmine’s mother and three sisters were injured in the seemingly random attack.
The Texans play the Indianapolis Colts in a wild-card game Saturday.
Hopkins also said he would join Shaun King, a civil rights activist in New York; County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez; and Mayor Sylvester Turner to help find Barnes’ killer. A reward has been offered for any information leading to an arrest. Services for Jazmine are Tuesday. Afterward, mourners will release purple balloons in her memory.