Pregnant Rapper Siditty's Mystery Death Deepens as She Was Reportedly Gunned Down Hours Before Gender Reveal Party

Qualeisha Barnes, a 36-year-old pregnant rapper and nursing student, was found shot dead early Wednesday morning in her car in Atlanta, just hours before she was scheduled to catch a flight to visit her sister. Authorities are investigating the shooting as a possible targeted attack.

Barnes, also known by her stage name Siditty, was 14 weeks pregnant and preparing for a gender reveal party, according to family members who told The Atlanta-Journal Constitution that things had been settling into place, as reported by Atlanta Black Star.

Barnes' sister, Shatara Davis, described the close bond they shared. She told 11Alive, "I know her as Qualeisha. I know her as LeLe. I know her as we, in the same house, in the same bed. That's what I know her as. All that friend stuff, I don't care about none of that. That was my sister. That was my baby."

Davis said Barnes was traveling to Atlanta to receive support during her pregnancy. She told the AJC, "She was coming so I could take care of her. She just needed her sister."

Authorities reported that Barnes was found dead around 1:30 a.m., less than 15 minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where she planned to board a 9 a.m. flight.

A nearby resident, Melvin Mapp, recalled hearing multiple gunshots. He told FOX 2, "I heard gunshots, like four or five, and then a car — a Honda — just flew up the street. Twenty or thirty minutes later, cops were everywhere."

Barnes' mother, Francine Lopez-Stewart, expressed her belief that multiple people could be involved in her daughter's killing and is demanding that those responsible be held accountable. She told the outlet, "If you investigate something that causes a murder, then you need some kind of, I mean, you need something. I think you need to go to jail too."

Barnes had lived in the Atlanta area for about ten years and was pursuing a career in health care as an aspiring nurse. Her mother noted her academic achievements, saying to the publication, "She made the dean's list. She had like two more semesters to go. She was so proud of herself, and we were so proud of her."

Her stage name reflected her personality, according to Lopez-Stewart. "She loved makeup. She loved dressing up. She loved beauty. She was Siditty," she said.

Atlanta police confirmed that the investigation is ongoing as they work to identify suspects in the shooting.

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