Qualeisha Barnes, known as Siditty, was 14 weeks pregnant when she was fatally shot in Atlanta.
A Detroit family is mourning the devastating loss of Qualeisha Barnes, the rapper and nursing student known professionally as Siditty, who was fatally shot in Atlanta in the early morning hours of Wednesday, April 8. Barnes was 36 years old and 14 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.
A fatal shooting in the early morning hours
Atlanta Police Department officers responded to the scene at approximately 1:23 a.m. local time after reports of a shooting. They found Barnes unresponsive inside her white Range Rover Sport, which had come to rest in the middle of a street. She had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on the scene by emergency medical personnel. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed her identity and age.
Authorities believe the shooter fired from outside the vehicle before fleeing. No suspect has been named, and the case remains under active investigation. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from the area and have asked nearby residents to check their own home security cameras for anything that could help the inquiry. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS.
A woman building a life on multiple fronts
Barnes had lived in Atlanta for nearly a decade while staying deeply rooted in her hometown of Detroit. Under the name Siditty, she had built a growing reputation in hip-hop, releasing tracks that earned attention for their confidence and boldness. Simultaneously, she was enrolled in nursing school and excelling. Her family said she had made the Dean’s List and was just two semesters away from earning her degree, a milestone she had worked toward with visible pride.
Beyond music and school, Barnes was also the CEO of So Siditty Boutique, an online retail business she operated under the same brand as her music career. Those who knew her described a woman of relentless drive, a sharp wit and a warmth that made her hard to forget. Her family remembered her as someone who made people laugh, who loved life and who carried herself with a determination to succeed in everything she pursued.
Family speaks out amid grief
Barnes’s mother, Francine Lopez-Stewart, spoke publicly after news of the death broke, sharing both her anguish and her belief that more than one person had a role in what happened. She has been clear that she wants everyone involved held fully accountable. The family has also suggested the attack may have been targeted, though police have not confirmed a motive or identified any suspects.
Her sister, Shatara Davis, spoke emotionally about the loss, describing Barnes not as a public figure but as a sister, the person she grew up with in the same house. Other family members, including her cousin Monica Barnes, shared tributes on social media, expressing grief and calling out the injustice of her passing.
An outpouring of love from Detroit and beyond
Since news of Barnes’s death became public, fans, fellow artists and community members have flooded social media with tributes. Detroit-based platform Detroit Got Talent honored her as a vibrant spirit whose legacy would endure. The response has reflected how fully she had made an impression, not only as a rapper on the rise but as a young woman who was clearly in the middle of building something real.
The investigation into her death remains active and ongoing.