SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (TCN) —Â A 24-year-old man will spend decades behind bars for killing his young sister several years ago and trying to conceal the weapon he used.
On Tuesday, May 27, Gyasi Stribling received a sentence of 40 to 60 years in prison for first-degree murder and two years for a felony firearm charge in connection with the death of 8-year-old Bailei Singleton, WJBK-TV reports. A jury previously convicted Stribling in April.
According to prosecutors, in January 2021, Stribling was 20 years old when he shot his sister “because she was ‘talking back’ to him in the living room of their home.”
Following the shooting, Stribling reportedly lied to authorities and told them his sister was shot when someone had tried to break in. The defendant also allegedly attempted to hide the weapon he used.
According to WJBK, Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren said investigators determined the shooting was not accidental.
Following the defendant’s conviction, Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney Karen McDonald said, “Bailei Singleton should still be here with us today,” adding, “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.”
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