Why Did You Shoot My Daddy?': Dad Takes a Bullet to Save His 6-Year-Old Daughter

In Gaston County, North Carolina, a few children were innocently playing basketball when their ball rolled into a neighbor's backyard. Hoping to retrieve it, some of them entered the man's yard, only to be met with his bloody rage and a gruesome tragedy.

Kinsley White and a few of her friends were playing basketball on Tuesday, April 18, in Gaston County, North Carolina when the ball slipped and rolled down the road. They just wanted to retrieve it from Robert Singletary's yard, but the man wasn't happy with this apparent infraction.

Reports indicate that after the ball entered his yard, Singletary came blustering out of his home, waving a gun around. He ran down the street, firing his weapon at one of the White family's neighbors, forcing everyone to head for their homes. But not everyone made it safely back before Singletary returned.

On his way back, Singletary set his sights on the 6-year-old Kinsley and her father, William White. As William raced to grab his little daughter, shots rang out from behind him, and one bullet grazed Kinsley's cheek. Scrambling to get his child to safety, one wildly fired projectile struck the father solidly in the back.

Kinsley responded to the horror incident, "Why did you shoot my daddy and me? Why did you shoot a kid's dad?"

After the shootout, Singletary fled the scene, and the Gaston County Police Department alerted the local community to the event via social media. At the same time, the U.S. Marshalls sent out a warrant for his arrest and apprehended the suspect a few days later, on Thursday, April 20, 2023.

Kinsley's Family under Fire

Besides Kinsley, William's wife, Ashley Hilderbrand, was also wounded in the shootout. A stray bullet had grazed the mom's elbow, and Kinsley and Ashley were taken to the hospital soon after. They were treated and luckily soon released.

Kinsley and her family reported that they weren't even part of the basketball game — they were merely grilling in their yard while Kinsley was riding her bike on the street.

Ashley's husband, William, wasn't as lucky. Family members reported that the brave father tried to draw the 24-year-old Singletary's aim toward himself in order to protect his little girl. Although Kinsley was scraped, it could have been much worse if William hadn't stepped in.

The father was hit in the back as he tried to get his daughter to safety and was taken to Charlotte Hospital as soon as possible. Although his family was released, William was seriously injured and remained in the care of the hospital staff. No updates on his condition have been shared except that he is recovering slowly and enduring much pain.

Responding to the horrific incident during an interview, Kinsley directed a question to Singletary: "Why did you shoot my daddy and me? Why did you shoot a kid's dad?"

Ashley's mother, Carolyn Hilderbrand, believes the only reason Singletary stopped firing was that he had run out of ammunition. She sincerely thinks he would have gone for the rest of the family as well.

Although little Kinsley only had to get a few stitches after the shootout, she and her mother were left with much to worry about. The little girl reported they had never even met the man before. Other residents of the street confirmed that Singletary was new to the community and had already been aggressive toward some of the kids.

Neighbors recounted the events to the press, and one person confessed that the situation caught them all entirely off-guard. The resident noted that no one expected a gun to be pulled amid the gathered children. The resident spoke out in disbelief, saying, "I mean that was insane."

The Aftermath

A number of residents indicated that Robert had yelled at their children when they went to fetch their ball from his yard. Apparently, one dad went up to the suspect and told him off for "cussing [his] kid out," telling him to rather speak to the children's parents so they could work the issue out as adults.

Singletary was released on a $250,000 bond on December 15, according to state records.

Shortly after the altercation, Singletary came out with a firearm in his hand. Kinsley and her family reported that they weren't even part of the basketball game — they were merely grilling in their yard while Kinsley was riding her bike on the street. According to CNN, this is the latest case of gun violence toward young people for common errors.

Singletary fled the scene after attacking his neighbors, prompting authorities to start a manhunt for the suspect. After a lengthy search, police finally found Singletary two days later. The man had made his way all the way to Hillsborough County, Florida, where he is being held until further notice, according to a spokesperson.

Although Singletary had his weapon with him throughout the entire chase, he eventually turned himself in. He had no form of identification on him, and his identity was only later confirmed. According to police reports, he has a history of violence, having been arrested for allegedly assaulting and keeping his girlfriend in his apartment in December 2022.

Singletary was released on a $250,000 bond on December 15, according to state records. Police indicated that the suspect would be tried for four counts of attempted first-degree murder, two for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and one for possession of a firearm by a felon.

Following the brutal shootout, the White family racked up numerous expensive bills to pay for William, Kinsley, and Ashley's healthcare. William's sister, Jessica White, shared in the description of a GoFundMe campaign that Kinsley and some of her family members have been attending therapy to work through their trauma.

Jessica also shared that William is unable to attend work, and his absence will hit the family hard financially. She started the GoFundMe campaign in a bid to pay off their medical bills and support the traumatized family. She ensured, "Everything donated is appreciated and will be used towards these kids and bills."

For more like this, click here. Read about a woman who heard chilling screams from a daycare and realized it was her daughter.