Final Phone Call With Mom Shattered: Pregnant Shakiya Pridgen’s Family Reveals Heartbreaking Last Words Before Ex Devin Anthony Allegedly G.u.n.n.e.d Her Down
In the quiet hours before dawn on a Tuesday morning in DeKalb County, Georgia, a young mother’s dreams were violently shattered. Twenty-three-year-old Shakiya Pridgen, just days away from welcoming her third child, was asleep in her new apartment alongside her two small children when gunfire ripped through the bedroom window. Shakiya and her unborn son, Kyren, did not survive. The man accused of pulling the trigger, 26-year-old Devin Anthony — identified by family as her ex-boyfriend and the father of the unborn baby — now faces charges including malice murder and feticide.
According to her devastated family, the tragedy struck just days after a joyful baby shower that celebrated the upcoming arrival of a baby boy. Shakiya had been preparing excitedly for this new chapter. She had recently moved into her first apartment on her own, was actively attending church, and was focused on building a stable life for her children — a 1-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl who were sleeping beside her during the shooting but miraculously escaped physical harm. Her loved ones described her as a loving, sweet, and caring person with a big heart who was doing everything right as a devoted mother.
In the days following the horror, Shakiya’s family shared the pain of their final conversation with her. That last phone call, filled with ordinary mother-daughter warmth and anticipation about the baby, now feels like a cruel goodbye. They spoke of plans, hopes, and the excitement of becoming grandparents again. Those dreams collapsed in a single night. The family had pictured holding little Kyren, watching him grow up alongside his siblings, and supporting Shakiya as she raised her growing family. Instead, they are left planning funerals for both mother and child while trying to comfort two toddlers who lost their world.
Court records reveal that Anthony had a prior violent history, including a previous manslaughter conviction for which he received a plea deal and probation. Family members have expressed deep frustration with the justice system, believing that if he had remained incarcerated, their daughter might still be alive today. Investigators say multiple shots were fired into the bedroom, with Shakiya struck in the stomach and shoulder areas. The unborn baby was also fatally wounded. Anthony was arrested shortly after in nearby Riverdale.
This heartbreaking case has sent shockwaves through the community, prompting vigils and an outpouring of support for the grieving family. A GoFundMe has been set up to cover funeral expenses and help care for Shakiya’s surviving children. As the legal proceedings move forward, Shakiya’s relatives say they are determined to seek justice not only for her but for the innocent life that was taken before it could even begin.
The loss of Shakiya Pridgen is a painful reminder of how quickly joy can turn to unimaginable sorrow. A young woman on the cusp of new beginnings — preparing her home, celebrating new life, and dreaming of the future — had everything ripped away in a moment of violence. Her family’s final memories of her voice on the phone will forever be tinged with the agony of what could have been. In their words, a blessing was stolen, leaving behind two small children who will grow up without their mother and a family forever changed by one devastating night.
