DON'T LET YOUR BASKETBALL ROLL INTO THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD

Neighbor who shot at six-year-old girl in the face when basketball rolled into his yard is arrested after manhunt - as it's revealed he previously attacked his ex-girlfriend with a SLEDGEHAMMER

 

By Hope Sloop 

Daily Mail

April 20, 2023

Robert Louis Singletary, 24, who allegedly shot a six-year-old girl and her parents Tuesday in North Carolina was previously cited for attacking his girlfriend with a mini-sledgehammer 

 

The man accused of shooting a six-year-old girl and her parents after her ball rolled into his front yard has been arrested after it emerged he was previously cited for attacking his girlfriend with a mini-sledgehammer. 

Police and law enforcement officials in North Carolina say Robert Louis Singletary, 24, opened fire on Kinsley White, 6, and her parents Tuesday night in Gastonia, North Carolina.

Singletary turned himself in to investigators in Tampa, Florida late Thursday evening, according to police. Tampa is located roughly 600 miles from Gastonia. 

In a news release from the domestic violence incident which took place in December, police said Singletary did not allow the victim to leave for several hours, despite her feeling 'dizzy' after being struck.  

'The victim further stated that Singletary told her that she could not leave until she had cleaned up all the evidence from the assault,' the release states.

 

Six-year-old Kinsley White was shot in the cheek after a neighbor opened fire on her and her parents when her basketball rolled into his yard

Singletary turned himself in to investigators in Tampa, Florida late Thursday evening, according to police . Tampa is located roughly 600 miles from Gastonia

 

According to the Gaston County Police, Singletary turned himself in to officials around 4.45pm at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Tampa, Florida.

At the time he was arrested, Singletary did not have identification on him. 

His identity was confirmed with Tampa law enforcement and processed just before 7pm Eastern Standard Time Thursday.   

The shooting suspect is next scheduled to appear in court Friday, April 21, in Hillsborough County, Gaston Police said in a post. 

His court appearance will address his extradition to Gaston County, North Carolina.

While speaking with WSOC, Kinsley's mother Ashley Hilderbrand, asked the suspect to turn himself in after it was reported that he went on the run. 

'Just please turn yourself in,' she said. 'There was no sense in what you did.' 

As local residents continue to try to understand why the horrific shooting took place, details of his arrest in December have since reemerged. 

A release from December states that Singletary attacked his 21-year-old girlfriend at his apartment in Gastonia. 

Police reported to a local hospital around 9.30am to speak with the woman who had called 911 after the assault in which she was hit in the back of the head with a mini-sledgehammer.  

'The victim said that after being struck, she immediately felt dizzy and disoriented and that she was bleeding profusely from the back of her head,' a release stated. 

The woman complied and was held inside the apartment for two hours.

While searching the apartment, officers located evidence from the assault including the mini-sledgehammer believed to have been used to assault the woman. 

An arrest warrant was later issued and Singletary was charged with assault with intent to inflict serious injury, kidnapping, and communicating threats.

Singletary was held on a $250,000 which he later made.  

'He looked at my husband and my daughter and told them, "I'm going to kill you," Hilderbrand said

William White was shot in the back in his own front yard in Gastonia, North Carolina 

'I believe he would have got me and my husband too,' said Carolyn Hilderbrand, Kinsley's grandmother. 'He just run out of bullets'

 

In Tuesday's shooting, Kinsley and her father, William White, were both injured. 

Hilderbrand said that at the time of the shooting, William was attempting to distract the neighbor so that other children could get away. 

William was struck in the back by a bullet and remains in the hospital at this time. 

Kinsley's mother told WSOC she was outside and said she heard Singletary make a threat to her family members.

'He looked at my husband and my daughter and told them, "I'm going to kill you," Hilderbrand said.

She said the neighbor then chased them while shooting.

He allegedly kept firing until his gun had run out of bullets.  

'I believe he would have got me and my husband too,' said Carolyn Hilderbrand, Kinsley's grandmother. 'He just run out of bullets.'

'We don't even know the man,' Kinsley told WSOC. 

 

'We don't even know the man,' Kinsley told WSOC of the man who shot at her 

According to neighbors who spoke with local outlets, Singletary was new to the neighborhood and was known for getting upset with the local children

 

The young girl spoke with the local news station just hours after the incident and with bullet fragments still lodged in her cheek. 

As she talked with reporters, she held her grandfather's hand and fought back tears. 

Kinsley also repeatedly voiced her concern for her father's health. 

'Why did you shoot my daddy and me? Why did you shoot a kid's dad?' Kinsley asked.

According to neighbors who spoke with local outlets, Singletary was new to the neighborhood and was known for getting upset with the local children.