HOUSTON – Houston police are looking for a suspect who shot and killed an 8-year-old girl following a car crash early Saturday.
The shooting happened around 2 a.m. near a Houston intersection when a white Pontiac Grand Prix ran a red light.
After the driver of the white car ran the light, a black Honda Accord, driven by 8-year-old De'Maree Adkins' mother, slammed into the side of the Pontiac, police said.
A photo of 8-year-old De'Maree Adkins, who was shot and killed after surviving a car accident in Houston. (GoFundMe)
According to KPRC-TV, Adkins' mother, Latoyia Thomas, said, "The light was green, and as soon as I got to the light it turned yellow – I couldn't stop." Thomas told the station that another car pulled up, a dark-colored sedan, and the driver of the Pontiac jumped in.
Thomas said the sedan pulled up next to their car, a woman rolled down one of the windows, and, for unknown reasons, fired at least five shots into the Accord. It's not clear whether the alleged shooter was the driver of the white Pontiac or not, the Associated Press noted.
Adkins was hit by the gunfire and taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital where she later died.
The mother was also taken to the hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.
The drivers of the white car and the other vehicle fled the scene. Both drivers remain on the loose.
A GoFundMe account for the family has raised more than $14,000.
If anyone has any information in this case, please contact the HPD Homicide Division at (713) 308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS. A Crime Stoppers reward of up to $5,000 is available to anyone who provides information (to Crime Stoppers) leading to the arrest and charges against the suspect(s).
