9-year-old 'fighting for her life' after road rage shooting, police ramp up pressure for arrest

Police are ramping up the pressure to find the person who shot a 9-year-old girl in an apparent road rage incident in Houston.

Ashanti Grant is improving, but remains in critical condition and "fighting for her life" following the Feb. 8 shooting, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said at a news conference Monday.

The suspects, a male driver and possibly a female passenger, were believed to be in a white GMC Denali pickup truck, police said. They apparently cut off the family's vehicle several times, then pulled behind the family's car and someone in the truck fired shots, hitting Ashanti, police said.

Ashanti was watching cartoons in the back seat at the time, her family said.

Her parents and siblings were also in the car but weren't hurt.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner spoke directly to the shooter at Monday's news conference as Ashanti's family looked on.

"My advice would be to turn yourself in, because we're not going to stop until we find you," he said.

He also urged the public to help.

"Someone knows … who committed this act," Turner said. "Put yourselves in the shoes of these parents."

A reward has been increased to $30,000, the mayor said.

"The people in this city, we are all praying for Ashanti," he said.