TRAGIC SHOOTING IN DECATUR: PREGNANT MOTHER AND UNBORN CHILD KILLED AFTER GUNFIRE INTO APARTMENT WINDOW

Authorities in Decatur, Georgia, are investigating a devastating shooting that left a 23-year-old pregnant woman and her unborn child dead after gunfire was directed into a residential apartment.

Police responded on June 16, 2026, to reports of a person shot at the Woods at Peppertree Apartments on Peppertree Circle. When officers arrived, they found Shakiya Pridgen suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

She was transported to a nearby hospital, where both she and her unborn child later died from their injuries.

Family members confirmed that Pridgen was approximately two weeks away from her due date and had recently held a baby shower celebrating the upcoming birth of her son, Kiyren.

According to investigators, at least 11 shots were fired into the apartment window where she was sleeping. Authorities believe the gunfire originated from outside the residence.

Warrants indicate that Shakiya was struck multiple times, including wounds to the abdomen and shoulder.

Family members described her as a devoted mother who had recently moved into her own apartment and was preparing to welcome her newborn son.

Her parents said she was excited about the future and focused on building a stable home for her children.

The loss has left her surviving children and family members devastated as they struggle to understand the sudden violence.

According to statements from the family, the suspected shooter is Shakiya’s former boyfriend and the father of her unborn child.

Law enforcement later identified and arrested 26-year-old Devin Anthony at a residence in Riverdale.

Anthony has been charged with malice murder, feticide, aggravated assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and criminal damage to property. He is being held without bond in DeKalb County Jail.

Court records further allege that Anthony was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior voluntary manslaughter conviction in Fulton County.

As the investigation continues, authorities are working to reconstruct the events leading up to the shooting and determine a full timeline of what occurred.

For Shakiya’s family, however, the outcome is already a devastating reality.

A mother lost, a child never born, and a family left searching for answers in the aftermath of unimaginable violence.