In the late afternoon of September 22, 2021, a sequence of events unfolded in the Beltzhoover neighborhood of Pittsburgh that would culminately result in the tragic death of Daniel James Brice, a 26-year-old male. Brice had arranged to meet an individual to sell marijuana, a transaction that was communicated via text message. Accompanied by two other adults and two children, Brice was driven to a vacant home on Climax Street for the arranged meeting.
Upon arrival, he exited the vehicle
to meet with a man the other occupants of the car did not recognize. Shortly after the two men met, the sound of gunfire shattered the quiet of the neighborhood. The witnesses in the car then saw Brice lying wounded in the street as the man he had met was seen fleeing toward the back of the house. In the immediate aftermath, a speeding Dodge Durango with its hazard lights flashing was spotted by two nearby detectives. After pulling the vehicle over, they discovered Daniel Brice in the passenger seat, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to UPMC Mercy hospital and taken directly into surgery, but tragically, he was pronounced dead about an hour after the shooting.
The investigation into Brice's murder quickly led authorities to a suspect, Khalil Singletary. A crucial piece of evidence, a cell phone dropped behind a vacant home on Climax Street, was recovered by detectives. An examination of the phone revealed selfies of Singletary, along with photos of his license and Social Security card. Further strengthening the case, the two adult witnesses who were with Brice later identified Singletary from a photo array as the man he had met just before the shooting.
With a warrant issued for his arrest on charges of homicide, the search for Khalil Singletary intensified. On October 1, 2021, law enforcement tracked him to a home in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. A standoff ensued, during which Singletary fired at the officers who had surrounded the residence. The SWAT teams from both the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County police departments responded to the volatile scene. After several hours, officers made entry into the home and found Singletary deceased.
