“Why did you shoot my daddy and me? Why did you shoot a kid’s dad?” the 6-YO said.
Trigger Warning: The following contains mentions of gun violence and violence against a child, which may be distressing to some readers.
A man in North Carolina shot and injured a 6-year-old girl and her parents after they went to fetch a basketball that had rolled into his yard by accident. This incident is the latest in a succession of recent shootings that were prompted by what appeared to be insignificant events, NBC reported.
The station was told by witnesses that the shooter ran up and down the street firing until he ran out of ammunition. According to the Gaston County Police Department, they are still looking for the alleged shooter, 24-year-old Robert Louis Singletary, who has been described as “armed and dangerous.”
“Why did you shoot me? Why did you shoot my dad?”
— Ken (@kenlemonWSOC9) April 19, 2023
6 yo Kinsley White has stitches from bullet fragments in her cheek. @gastoncountypd say Robert Singletary is on the run after firing shots on April Dr. last night. Kinsley’s mother & father were hit by shots too. The mom is home. pic.twitter.com/QAhw6XcZ1W
Kinsley White, the 6-year-old, was hospitalized after suffering injuries to her face. Family members told Queen City News that she was discharged the previous night. William White, her father, is still in the hospital, after having sustained serious injuries. “He came out with a gun, he started shooting,” Kinsley, still traumatized, said to the outlet. “Hope my daddy is OK,” the little girl wished.
“We don’t even know the man,” Kinsley told WSOC, appearing on camera with stitches in her cheek. “Why did you shoot my daddy and me? Why did you shoot a kid’s dad?”
AGAIN: Kinsley White, 6, was shot by a North Carolina neighbor who was upset that a basketball rolled into his yard. The gunman also shot her parents and other family members. White was released from the hospital overnight. #ncpol https://t.co/86gUUmvQXq
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 19, 2023
Ashley Hilderbrand, her mother, was injured by a gunshot and given first aid on the spot. “I heard the pow, pow, pow, pow, and I thought it was fireworks,” said the mother of the 6-year-old. “Then I heard the pow, pow, pow, and everybody started yelling, get in the house, get in the house, get in the house, get in the house.”
She overheard the shooter threatening to harm her husband and daughter. “I’m going to kill you,” he threatened them. Then, according to Hilderbrand, he pursued them while firing, with William White attempting to defend Kinsley. A fourth individual was also fired at but was not hurt. Multiple accusations are brought against Singletary, including four counts of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of felon in possession of a handgun.
Ralph Yarl. Shot for ringing the wrong doorbell.
— Charles Gaba (@charles_gaba) April 19, 2023
Kaylin Gillis. Shot for being in the wrong driveway.
Payton Washington & Heath Roth. Shot for getting in the wrong car.
Kinsley White. Shot for rolling a basketball into the wrong yard.
All under 21.
All within the past week. https://t.co/oUxhkEyCbB
“It was very scary,” her mother said on Wednesday, April 19. “My daughter actually got to come home last night. She just had a bullet fragment in her cheek.”
Kinsley's aunt Jessica is now raising funds on GoFundMe to support the expenses of the family, describing the incident as "unimaginable and will forever haunt my niece." The fundraiser shared, "Kinsley has and will continue to go to therapy for this as well as forever have a scare to remind her of the day that could have been her last," adding, "This GoFundMe is set up to assist in getting the kids the help they will need and the doctor bills that will ensue following my brother's release."
BREAKING UPDATE:
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) April 21, 2023
I have confirmed this is the verified fundraiser for the family
You know what to do https://t.co/yFUlvIs2Q4
References:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/j9bma-medical-bills-and-family-support
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe