Pregnant Mom S.h.o.t D.e.a.d in Bed Just Days After Baby Shower – Father of Unborn Baby Accused of Firing 11 S.h.o.t.s Through Window While Her Toddlers Slept Beside Her
A heartbreaking tragedy has shaken DeKalb County, Georgia, as 23-year-old Shakiya Pridgen, a devoted mother of two who was just days away from welcoming her third child, was fatally shot in her own bedroom. The young woman, nine months pregnant with a baby boy, was killed along with her unborn son in what authorities describe as a targeted shooting early one Tuesday morning.
According to investigators, Pridgen was sleeping peacefully beside her young children—a one-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl—when multiple shots were fired through the bedroom window of her apartment at The Woods at Peppertree complex around 5-6 a.m. She was struck three times, including once in the stomach that also hit the unborn baby. Emergency responders rushed her to the hospital, but both mother and child were pronounced dead. Miraculously, her two toddlers sleeping right next to her were physically unharmed.
Just days earlier, the family had celebrated with joy. Pridgen had hosted a baby shower on Sunday, surrounded by loved ones eagerly anticipating the arrival of her son, who was due within the next one to two weeks. Family members described her as a loving, sweet, and caring person with a big heart who lived for her children. Her mother, Verdina Scott, expressed the unimaginable pain: someone had taken a blessing from the family, and they are determined to seek justice.
Devin Anthony, 26, the father of the unborn child and reportedly Pridgen’s ex-boyfriend, was quickly identified as the suspect. He was arrested in Riverdale with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Anthony faces serious charges including malice murder, feticide, and aggravated assault with intent to murder. Reports indicate he allegedly fired around 11 shots into the apartment. Court records also reveal Anthony’s prior legal history, including a manslaughter conviction from a 2021 case where he received a plea deal involving probation.
This senseless act has left the community in shock and mourning. Pridgen’s family has organized efforts to honor her memory and support the surviving children, who now face life without their mother. The two young ones were present during the horrific incident but were spared physical injury, though the emotional trauma will undoubtedly linger.
As details continue to emerge, this case highlights the devastating impact of domestic-related violence on families, especially those expecting new life. Friends and relatives remember Pridgen as a strong mother who had so much to look forward to. The family is calling for accountability and continues to grieve the double loss of Shakiya and her unborn son Kyron (also referred to as Kiyren in some reports).
In the wake of this tragedy, vigils and support have poured in for the Pridgen family. Many are left asking how such a joyful time—a baby shower filled with hope—could end in such unimaginable heartbreak just days later. The surviving children, now without their mother, represent the innocent lives forever altered by this act of violence. Authorities continue to investigate, and the community stands united in demanding justice for Shakiya and her unborn baby.
