Officials are searching for a man who shot at at least four people, wounding a child and two others near Gastonia, Gaston County Police said Wednesday.
Police identified Robert Louis Singletary, 24, as the shooter, facing murder charges, officials said in a news release.
The shooting happened Tuesday night just off York Highway.
Police have not released the victims’ names, but WSOC — the Observer’s news partner — identified the three injured people as a 6-year-old girl and her parents. The girl appeared on camera with a stitched cheek Wednesday afternoon.
A manhunt is underway for an “armed and dangerous” man accused of shooting several people including a six-year-old girl and her parents, according to the Gaston County Police Department.https://t.co/9UVj6h8W6K
— WSPA 7NEWS (@WSPA7) April 20, 2023
“Why did you shoot my daddy and me? Why did you shoot a kid’s dad?” she asked.
Her father is still in the hospital with serious injuries, according to WSOC. He was trying to protect his daughter and her mother — who was also grazed by a bullet.
Witnesses told the station the suspect shot until he ran out of bullets.
Singletary is facing four counts of attempted 1st degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflecting serious injury and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, police said in a news statement.
In December, Gastonia Police Department charged him for assaulting his 21-year-old girlfriend with a mini sledgehammer, according to a previous news statement.
Police have partnered with the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force to find Singletary, Police Chief Stephen Zill confirmed Wednesday.
Police have not indicated a motive behind the shooting as of Wednesday afternoon.
Singletary is 6 feet, 2 inches tall with brown eyes and black hair, weighing approximately 223 pounds. He is considered armed and dangerous.
Police are asking anyone with further information to contact Det. J. Brienza at 704-866-3320 or Crimestoppers at 704-861-8000. Crimestoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information pertinent to the investigation.
