DA charges 21-year-old woman with shooting a 16-year-old girl in the throat at a sleepover while ‘doing her friend’s hair’ at the vanity

by John
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DA charges 21-year-old woman with shooting a 16-year-old girl in the throat at a sleepover while 'doing her friend's hair' at the vanity

A 16-year-old Missouri girl, who was days away from starting her junior year of high school, was shot and killed during a sleepover earlier this month when a woman allegedly opened fire on a home in Kansas City, prosecutors said.

Victim Identified

The victim, Traelynn Sibley, a student at Grandview High School, was visiting a friend on August 9 when she was struck by gunfire. Prosecutors say she was fixing her friend’s hair at a vanity near the front door when bullets tore through the house, hitting her in the throat.

After being shot, Traelynn reportedly ran to the bathroom before collapsing. She later died from her injuries.

Charges Against the Suspect

Bailey Lewis, 21, of Lenexa, Kansas, has been charged with:

Second-degree felony murder

Accessory to armed criminal action (multiple counts)

Unlawful use of a weapon

She is being held at the Jackson County Detention Center on a $400,000 bond, court records show.

What Led to the Shooting

Investigators say Lewis was not targeting Traelynn but another person inside the home, with whom she had a falling out months earlier.

The dispute reportedly stemmed from an incident where Lewis allegedly allowed the person to get “jumped” at a gas station.

Tensions escalated further after Lewis accused the person of stealing property with a mutual male friend—a claim that was denied.

Detectives confirmed through surveillance video that Lewis’s 2025 Hyundai Elantra was seen near the crime scene, as well as at another shooting location just 15 minutes earlier.

What Witnesses Saw

According to the probable cause affidavit:

Witnesses described the night as a “normal sleepover” until gunshots suddenly rang out.

At the time, two girls were doing each other’s hair by the front door, while two adult men were playing video games in the living room.

A toddler was also inside the home when shots were fired.

The house and a red Mazda parked outside were struck multiple times by bullets.

Prosecutors’ Findings

Detective David Adair of the Kansas City Police noted in his affidavit that the spacing of the shell casings suggested the shooter was firing while in motion—driving past the house and unloading rounds as the car headed south.

Investigators also linked Lewis to a separate shooting at an apartment complex shortly before the sleepover attack. Google Maps data confirmed the timing between the two incidents aligned with the suspect’s alleged movements.

What should have been a typical teenage sleepover ended in a senseless tragedy, cutting short the life of 16-year-old Traelynn Sibley. While prosecutors argue the intended target was someone else inside the home, Traelynn’s death has shaken both her family and community. Lewis now faces serious charges that could carry decades in prison if she is convicted.

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