Shakiya Pridgen was nine months pregnant at the time of her alleged murder on Tuesday, June 16
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(760x383:762x385):format(webp)/Shakiya-Pridgen-tout2-61826-7b71c638b1e344628d01dcb23cae7d5f.jpg)
NEED TO KNOW
- Shakiya Pridgen was nine months pregnant at the time of her alleged murder on Tuesday, June 16
- Her family reportedly says that the man who is accused of fatally shooting her is her ex-boyfriend and father of the unborn child
- Pridgen’s family had just celebrated her baby shower the weekend before the killing
A Georgia family is mourning after a pregnant mother of two was fatally shot while asleep in her home.
Officers responding to a report of a shooting at a Decatur, Ga. residence in the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 16, found 23-year-old Shakiya Pridgen suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office tells PEOPLE. Pridgen and her unborn child were pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital.
Later that day, 26-year-old Devin Anthony was arrested in nearby Riverdale on several charges — including murder — in connection with the killing.
Investigators believe the shots were fired into the home from the outside, according to the sheriff’s office.
Pridgen’s family has alleged Anthony was her ex-boyfriend and the father of the unborn child, and that he knew where Pridgen’s bed was and that she would sleep there with her kids, ages 1 and 3, 11 Alive reported.
Police were unable to confirm or deny this information when contacted by PEOPLE, but have said no one else was injured in the shooting.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(599x0:601x2):format(webp)/Shakiya-Pridgen-61826-a69bc737f5d242f5a5d02743b140d5e9.jpg)
A GoFundMe has since been set up to assist Pridgen’s children.
She had just moved into her first apartment by herself and wanted to get married and settle down, her mother told WSB-TV.
“She was doing everything a mother is supposed to do,” Verdina Scott said, per the outlet. “We are a strong family. We are going to take care of her children and keep her name alive, and see justice for her.”
The family had just held a baby shower for Pridgen last weekend, Scott said, as she was days away from giving birth to the baby boy she planned to name Kyren, 11 Alive reported.
“I want the world to know that somebody took a blessing, a blessing, from all of us, and we will get justice,” the grieving mother told the outlet. “This will not be the last time you hear from us. We will get justice for you, Shakiya, and Kyren.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/Devin-Anthony-mugshot-61826-0bd2547668e045108d46ed603d7fcbcf.jpg)
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Anthony was charged with malice murder; feticide; two counts of aggravated assault; criminal damage to property; and possession of firearm by a convicted felon, according to online court records reviewed by PEOPLE.
It’s not immediately clear if he has denied the allegations, entered pleas or retained an attorney as of Thursday, June 18. He’s being held without bond at the DeKalb County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential.
Source: https://people.com/man-shot-into-bedroom-killing-pregnant-mother-after-baby-shower-police-12001979