Inset: Gyasi Stribling (Oakland County Jail). Background: 12 North apartments in Southfield, Michigan (Google Maps).
A man from Michigan has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for fatally shooting his 8-year-old sister in their apartment’s living room because she argued with him.
Gyasi Stribling was handed a prison sentence ranging from 40 to 60 years this Tuesday. Last month, a jury found the 24-year-old guilty of first-degree murder for the 2021 killing of Bailei Singleton, as confirmed by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.
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Prosecutor Karen McDonald expressed her sorrow in a statement at the time of Stribling’s conviction. “Bailei Singleton should still be with us today,” she said. “Her family has endured a great tragedy. It’s unimaginable that a relative, especially of such a young age, could be murdered in their home over a minor disagreement. This case serves as an unfortunate reminder that gun violence is a public health issue that can tragically take lives in a moment’s notice.”
Police in Southfield, a suburb of Detroit, responded on Jan. 3, 2021, to the 12 North Apartments. Bailei was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and, days later, succumbed to her injuries.
According to The Detroit News, the then 20-year-old Stribling tried to say that his sister was shot during a robbery. But that story fell apart after two witnesses in the home told a different story. He also ditched the gun but cops later found it. Police arrested Stribling a couple of days after the murder and he’s been in the Oakland County Jail ever since.
Cops were stunned by the crime.
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“It’s stressful for us,” Southfield police Chief Elvin Barren told local NBC affiliate WDIV at the time. “It’s stressful for me to stand here before you and control my emotions when talking about an 8-year-old child.”
Barren called it a “heinous crime” and said he was “confident” Stribling would go to prison. Barren’s prediction came to fruition as jurors convicted the defendant after a two-day trial.
