A jury in Michigan has found a Southfield man guilty of killing his younger sister in 2021 for “talking back” to him.
A news release by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office stated that 24-year-old Gyasi Stribling has been convicted of first-degree murder for killing his then-8-year-old sister, Bailei Singleton. He shot the young girl in the head at their home because she was “talking back” to her older brother while they were both in the living room of the residence.
Stribling was 20 years old when he committed the murder in 2021 and faces a possible life sentence when he is sentenced May 27 in Oakland County Circuit Court.
“Bailei Singleton should still be here with us today,” said Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald in a written statement. “Her murder was a tragedy for her family. It’s unconscionable that anyone, let alone an 8-year-old child, could be murdered by a relative and in their own home over the slightest of disagreements. This case is, unfortunately, a reminder of how gun violence is a public health epidemic that can end a life in an instant.”
Fox 2 Detroit reported that the shooting took place at 12 North Apartments in January 2021. After the incident, Southfield police officers stated that Stribling lied to detectives when he was initially questioned after the deadly shooting. He explained to them that there had been an attempted break-in into the apartment, and his sister was shot when that occurred. He also tried to hide the weapon he used for the grisly crime.
After the shooting, Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren said that the fatal shooting did not appear to be accidental.
Michigan Live reported that the 8-year-old girl was hospitalized in critical condition for several days before she died from the gunshot wound.
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