Former Tar Heel basketball standout Harrison Barnes and his wife, Brittany Barnes, said Thursday they will pay for the funeral of a Texas woman who was shot in her home October 12.

28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson died after being shot by a Fort Worth officer while in her home watching her 8-year-old nephew.  Police were at the house because a neighbor called the department’s non-emergency number and said they saw Jefferson’s door left open.

The officer charged with her murder, Aaron Dean, has since resigned from the Fort Worth Police Department and may face criminal charges.

Barnes, who played for the Dallas Mavericks from 2017 until he was traded in 2019, has a history of philanthropy in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. In the past, he has provided holiday meals for those in need and given to a local Boys and Girls Club, which recently dedicated a new basketball court in his honor.

Funeral services for Jefferson are scheduled for Saturday October 19 at 2 p.m. in Dallas. 

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