Man accused of shooting 3, including 6-year-old, turns himself in to Florida authorities

This booking photo shows Robert Louis Singletary.
This booking photo shows Robert Louis Singletary.(Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
Published: Apr. 20, 2023 at 5:20 AM EDT|Updated: Apr. 20, 2023 at 8:45 PM EDT
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GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) - A man accused of shooting and wounding three people in Gaston County, North Carolina, earlier this week has turned himself in, officials said.

According to Gaston County Police, 24-year-old Robert Louis Singletary surrendered to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday afternoon.

Singletary is accused of firing several shots outside of his home Tuesday evening.

A neighbor said the shooting happened after a basketball rolled into Singletary’s yard. He then allegedly went inside his house, got a gun, and began firing.

Multiple people were injured after they were shot on Grier Street on Tuesday night in Gaston County.

Police said a 6-year-old girl and her father were hit by the gunfire. A woman was also grazed by a bullet, and another man was shot at but not hit.

The young girl sustained a wound to her left cheek, while her father was shot in the back.

Singletary is accused of already having a history of yelling at kids in the area, neighbors said.

In December, he allegedly assaulted a woman with a mini-sledgehammer. He was charged with assault with intent to inflict serious injury, kidnapping and communicating threats in that incident. He was later released on a $250,000 secured bond.

Gaston County District Attorney Travis Page vowed to make sure justice is served against Singletary this time around, saying his office will be “loud and clear” when this case goes to court.

“The people of Gaston County will see and hear our commitment to that prosecution,” he said.

Multiple local agencies, as well as the U.S. Marshals, were involved in the search.

Singletary is scheduled to appear in court in Hillsborough County on Friday regarding his extradition to North Carolina.

Gaston County Police said the investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information should call 704-866-3320.