Robert Louis Singletary: NC man who allegedly shot Kinsley White, 6, attacked ex-GF with sledgehammer
GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA: A man who allegedly shot a six-year-old girl and her parents after her ball rolled into his front yard has been arrested. It has been reported that Robert Louis Singletary, 24, was previously arrested for allegedly attacking his girlfriend with a mini-sledgehammer. Singletary opened fire on Kinsley White, 6, and her parents on Tuesday night, April 18. He turned himself in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday, April 20.
Singletary attacked his former girlfriend in December 2022 and did not allow her to leave for several hours even though she complained about feeling "dizzy" after being struck, Daily Mail cited a news release as saying. "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.
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Robert Louis Singletary's attack on his girlfriend
Singletary reportedly attacked his 21-year-old girlfriend at his Gastonia apartment in December 2022. Cops reported to a local hospital after the woman called 911 following the assault. She alleged she was hit in the back of the head with a mini-sledgehammer by the suspect.
"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 said. She was forced to remain inside the apartment for two hours after the attack.
Officers later searched the apartment and found evidence including the sledgehammer that was possibly used to attack the woman. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued and the suspect was charged with assault with intent to inflict serious injury, kidnapping, and communicating threats.
What are the charges against Robert Louis Singletary?
Both Kinsley and her father, William White, were injured in Tuesday's shooting. The suspect reportedly became angry after a basketball rolled into the yard from children who were playing in the street, and White ran out to protect his daughter. Kinsley's mother Ashley Hilderbrand told WSOC, "He looked at my husband and my daughter and told them, 'I'm going to kill you'." She alleged that Singletary then chased them while shooting, and fired until the gun ran 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.” Neighbors have said the suspect was new to the neighborhood and often got upset with local children.
According to Gaston County police, Singletary is charged with four counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and possession of a firearm by a felon, in connection with Tuesday's incident. More charges may be pressed as shots were fired into neighbors’ homes. “We’ll be damn sure to be loud and clear when this case comes to court,” said District Attorney Travis Page.