Michigan 8-Year-Old Killed By Older Brother: You Won’t Believe Why

A Michigan man was sentenced today (5/27/2025) after fatally shooting his 8-year-old sister in the head. The shooting happened in January of 2021 according to police reports.

Although he was 20 at the time, the now 24-year-old Gyasi Stribling was given 20 to 40 years behind bars for the first-degree murder of his 8-year-old sister, Bailei Singleton. Another two years were added to his sentence for a felony firearm charge.

Why Did Stribling Shoot His Little Sister In The Head?

The fatal shooting took place at 12 North Apartments in Southfield, Michigan in January of 2021. According to investigators, the young girl was simply talking back to her older brother when he decided to pull a gun, shoot her in the head, ending the life of the 8-year-old.

READ MORE: Michigan 13-Year-Old Breaks Into Homes, Steals Gun, Threatens Man

When police arrived on scene, they were blatantly lied to by Stribling about the circumstances surrounding the child's death. According to police reports, the older brother claimed that there was an attempted robbery at their residence and that his sister was apparently shot in the head by the intruder during the so-called break-in.

Police Did Not Believe That The Shooting of Bailei Singleton was Accidental

Clues at the scene made it clear to police that the shooting of 8-year-old Bailei Singleton was intentional and not accidental as her brother had claimed. Police also reported that Stribling was trying to hide the murder weapon.

READ MORE: 8-Year-Old Michigan Girl Killed For 'Talking Back' 

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said, 'Bailei Singleton should still be here with us today. 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.'