In the early morning hours of September 20, 2021, 29-year-old Shakiyla DeVon Sample was found inside a residence on Prospect Church Road in Lawrenceville, Georgia, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots around 4:30 a.m., and police discovered her body after responding to those calls.

Investigators identified Sample’s boyfriend, 31-year-old Ray Charles Evans, as the primary suspect. At least one other person was present in the home when the shooting occurred. Evans fled the scene but was arrested a few hours later in the parking lot of an auto parts store in Cumming after a joint response by Gwinnett County police and the Forsyth County SWAT team.

Court records show Evans had a prior history of violent and threatening behavior, including a protective order filed by a former landlord alleging death threats. Evans later admitted to shooting Sample and pleaded guilty to malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony; a judge sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Does anyone have information about Sample’s life in Lawrenceville or knew her social circle that could add context to what happened?