SandyMaloneHouston, TX – Houston police are searching for the woman who shot a man in the head in a Facebook live video early on Sunday morning, after additional charges were filed against her.
Cassandra Damper, 25, was playing with a gun and threatening somebody who had presumably made a comment during their live feed at about 2 a.m. on April 1 when she pulled the trigger and shot Devyn Holmes in the head.
Holmes slumped over, with blood pouring out of a hole in his head, while Damper and Cadillac Coleman, who was in the backseat at the time of the shooting, jumped out of the vehicle.
An off-duty firefighter who was a friend of Damper happened to be nearby, and with the help of another bystander, Chas Martin was able to pull Holmes out of the vehicle and begin CPR while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.
Initially, Damper told police Holmes had shot himself. But the livestream video was already being widely circulated, and officers were quickly directed to the evidence that showed them what, exactly, happened inside the car when Holmes was shot.
Holmes was transported to a hospital where he is in stable condition.
Damper was charged with tampering with evidence, after she attempted to clean her hands before police could perform a gun residue test on her.
She was released on $2,500 bond on Tuesday, and given a curfew and an ankle monitor, according to KTRK.
But on Wednesday, when Houston police announced new charges against Damper, they didn’t know where she was.
Houston PD then started asking the public for information on her whereabouts.
An update posted online by the city of Houston on April 4 said Damper had been charged with aggravated assault – serious bodily injury.
“While playing with two pistols in the car, Damper discharged the weapon, striking the victim, who was sitting in the front seat. When officers arrived, they detained Damper and a witness for questioning. Their hands were bagged so they could be tested for gunshot residue,” according to the report filed by officers from Houston PD’s major assault unit.
“While detained, Damper attempted to destroy the evidence by wiping off any gunshot residue that may have been present. Damper was arrested at the scene for attempting to destroy evidence,” according to the report filed by Houston Police Officers J. Roberts and G. Black.
Investigators presented additional evidence, including the video, to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and the additional charge was issued, the city’s update reported.
The video showed Damper and Holmes sitting in the front seat of the car, while Coleman sat in the back seat.
The footage briefly cut out, and a handgun could clearly be seen resting on the center console after the video resumed.
“Lyin’ a** hoe,” Damper said, possibly to someone who had tuned into the live video stream.
She then reached over and picked up the handgun, with her finger on the trigger.
“You see what we doin’ to lyin’ a** hoes?” she said, as she pointed the weapon at the camera. “We draw down.”
Simultaneously, Holmes reached over, covered the weapon’s slide, and momentarily appeared to try to take the gun from Damper.
“Hey man,” he said to her. “You’re making me nervous.”
“We draw down on them hoes!” Damper yelled, as Holmes let go of the weapon.
“She ain’t got no clip, bud,” Coleman told Holmes, while Damper racked the slide, which had a loaded round in the chamber. She then raised the weapon towards Holmes.
In an instant, she pulled the trigger, and Holmes’ head fell to the side.
Damper gasped, and set the gun back on the console while she and Coleman jumped out of the vehicle.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Damper or on this case was urged to contact the Houston PD’s Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.