Houston officials are offering $30,000 for information about a road rage shooting that left a 9-year-old girl in critical condition last week.
Mayor Sylvester Turner urged people to submit tips that may help lead to the arrest of those responsible for the shooting of Ashanti Grant, who was injured a week ago and remains hospitalized.
Ashanti’s family told Houston police that someone in a white GMC Denali pickup began firing after aggressively cutting off the family's vehicle as they were on their way.
Elaine Williams, Ashanti's grandmother, said that they "called her name and she didn't respond."
Video from a gas station captured the moment when the family pulled into a parking lot and realized that the fourth-grader, who was riding in the back seat had been shot in the head.
A $5,000 reward set last week for information leading to an arrest was raised Monday to $30,000, with Turner saying at the news conference that "people know" who shot the young girl.
Turner thanked members of Ashanti's family for being on stage with him and said the city is "praying" for the girl's recovery.
"When things happen to our kids, we will go the extra step to find you — because we are talking about our children," Turner said.
He added that 125 police officers had been added to the city's streets.
"Nine-year-old Ashanti is an innocent child who was struck by a bullet," Turner said. "Ashanti should be in her school with her teachers and classmates and returning to her family. Instead, she remains in a hospital, fighting to recover."
"If that doesn't move someone who has information to provide information ... I don't know what will," he said.
The white Denali apparently had distinctive arrow markings on its turn signals.
Police Chief Troy Finner urged those responsible to turn themselves in, saying "every resource" is being dedicated to finding the perpetrators.
"But at this time we need more information," he said.
