Logo

Gakirah Barnes 'Gangsta Gurl' Killed 17 & Became a Street Legend

Gakirah Barnes 'Gangsta Gurl' Killed 17 & Became a Street Legend

Gikirah Barnes was a female gang shooter who became infamous for using Twitter to taunt and perpetuate gang violence around South Side Chicago. In 2014, a rapper called King Von gunned down the 17-year-old. Barnes's kill count is unknown, but many believe she was responsible for 17 murders.

Last Breath

Barnes died how she lived.. by the gun. Before King Von shot her to death, Gakirah killed 17 rival gang members.

Barnes died how she lived.. by the gun. Before King Von shot her to death, Gakirah killed 17 rival gang members.


On April 11, 2014, a rival gang member gunned 17-year-old Gakirah Barnes down, who we now know was the rapper called King Von.

After being shot 7 times from a 45-caliber handgun, Gakirah Barnes limped over to a set of wooden stairs at 6451 S Eberhart Ave. where she took her final breath. She was pronounced dead on arrival.

Gakriah's last breath was on the wooden steps of 6451 S Eberhart Ave.


Police estimate that the shooting happened around 3:33pm while Gakirah was on her way to meet some friends at a barbeque. She had two friends with her which were both shot. Both survived.

Out of 13 shots fired, 7 slugs hit Gakirah. The fatal wound penetrating through her neck.

Witnesses told police that an unknown male wearing a grey hoodie and blue jeans approached the group and produced a handgun. The shooter yelled, "YEAH BITCH! " and began shooting. After firing 13 shots, the man ran back to his blue Oldsmobile where his "vehicle spun its tires and fled eastbound at a high rate of speed."

Out of 13 shots fired, 7 slugs hit Gakirah. The fatal wound penetrating through her neck.


Gakirah suffered 7 gunshots with the fatal wound being in her neck.

It is uncommon for a female to be featured in a 'drill rap' video, but Gakirah was front and center.

Thug Life

It is uncommon for a female to be featured in a 'drill rap' video, but Gakirah was front and center.


Garkirah's mother told the Chicago Tribune that her daughter was living amidst "an ongoing war" and that violence and loss has plagued the South-Side streets of Chicago.

No-one disagrees.

This is something that has become all too normal to everybody, and it needs to stop," Brown said in a phone interview. "We need to come together as a community and just unite to get our children and our streets back."

The shooting of Gakirah Barnes was not a random event. The rival gang, the Black Disciples, targeted and actively hunted the 17-year-old.

Two gangs, the Black Disciples and the Gangster Disciples, control South Chicago. The Martin Luther King Blvd that runs down the middle separates the two factions..

Barnes was infamous in the Chicago streets. She was a female who held a prominent position in the gang. She was also a shooter who allegedly killed 17 before they killed her.

Two gangs, the Black Disciples and the Gangster Disciples, control South Chicago. The Martin Luther King Blvd that runs down the middle separates the two factions..


She used her Twitter account to antagonize her enemies and even taunt them about their friends she killed.

Reporter Frank Main said: "The novelty of Gakirah the gang assassin being shot down was huge." "She was thought to be one of the most notorious shooters in the history of that neighbourhood—and she’s a girl."

In the Secret Life of a Gang Girl: The Untold Story Angalia Bianca, a former Chicago gang member said, "She was a real badass gangster girl - every bit the definition. For females, if you want to keep that kind of respect, she was never going to stop."

The Daily Mail referred to her as one of the “most notorious female gang members in US history.”

From 8th Grade, to Renegade

A promising young girl wearing a Holister shirt slowly turns into an assassin street gangster.

A promising young girl wearing a Holister shirt slowly turns into an assassin street gangster.


Before Gakirah Barnes became the "most notorious female gang member in US history", she was a sweet and kindhearted tomboy. In an interview Gakirah's best friend said, "I just wanted to pull her closer, like a big sister."

She was a promising student, excelling in math and science, but like many impressionable kids, a few peers sucked her into the life of gang violence.

On January 12th, 2011, a close friend of Gakirah, 15-year-old Shondale Gregory, known as "Tooka", was shot and killed while at a bus stop at 63rd and St. Lawrence by a member of the Black Disciples.

Tooka's death was an important piece in the story's timeline, because the Black Disciples took to social media to taunt his murder.

Close friend of Gakirah, 15-year-old Shondale Gregory "Tooka", taunted by rival gang members on social media.

Close friend of Gakirah, 15-year-old Shondale Gregory "Tooka", taunted by rival gang members on social media.


The murder and the after action of the rival gang made a lasting impact on Gakirah Barnes.

One member even showed up at Tooka's wake to permanently disgrace the teenager and his family on Facebook Live.

Streets Divided

It is believed that Gakirah Barnes was tasked with retaliating for the murder of Tooka by killing a member of the Black Disciples, Odee Perry.

The Major Incident report from the Chicago Police Department list Gakirah as the shooter.


Barnes was never charged for Perry's murder, but took to Twitter to brag about his death.

Talk Murder To Me
Enjoy this Post? Listen to the episode!
500+ episodes on your favorite podcasting app now!
✦  Listen Now

You might also like

Discussion

Subscribe

No spam ever, just notes and crime photos for episode releases