Georgia – In a heartbreaking incident that has left a Georgia family grieving and a young man behind bars, a 19-year-old woman, identified as N. Ramirez, was fatally shot in the head by her 19-year-old boyfriend, identified as S. Prestridge, during a sleepover at her home. The incident, which unfolded in the early hours of the morning, has now led to criminal charges even as the victim’s own mother describes the shooting as an accident that underscores the dangers of careless gun handling.
Prestridge has been charged with involuntary manslaughter following the death of Ramirez, whom he was dating. According to the police department, Prestridge allegedly discharged a firearm that struck Ramirez in the head while the two were spending the night together with a group of friends at her family’s home.
Investigators say the gun was being passed around among the group and that no one seemed to realize it was loaded. In a statement to police, Prestridge said he did not know the firearm contained a round in the chamber. Ramirez’s mother later confirmed that account, telling local media that the teens were “playing” with the gun in what appeared to be a moment of poor judgment and inexperience. Despite her daughter’s tragic death, the mother said she does not harbor anger toward Prestridge. She believes the shooting was an accident and says that Prestridge “loved” her daughter deeply. “When you get mad and these things happen, you want to find someone guilty, but I think it was just an accident,” she told local news sources.
Officers responded to a distress call at approximately 1:30 a.m. Thursday at a residence. The call stated that a young woman had been shot in the head by her boyfriend. When police arrived, they found Ramirez inside the home, suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel were quickly on scene but tragically pronounced her dead shortly after arriving. Prestridge did not flee the scene. Instead, he waited for authorities and was cooperative with police throughout the initial investigation. He was detained and then transported to the county jail, where he is currently being held without bond. The weapon involved reportedly belonged to a friend of Prestridge and was brought into the home without any of the teens realizing it was loaded. That oversight, according to Ramirez’s mother, cost her daughter her life.
In the wake of her daughter’s sudden death, Ramirez’s mother is now urging families and young people to take gun safety more seriously. Her daughter, she said, was full of life—kind, caring, and always thinking of others. Ramirez had been happy in her relationship, and her mother said she had never seen a reason to worry. “She was very friendly and kind. She always take care of other people. She was a sweet girl,” she said. Of Prestridge, she added, “He used to come in and he show that he was so nice. He showed he loved her.” Her message to others now comes with urgency: “People have to take care of the guns and save it in a safe place. It’s not okay that this kind of accidents happen.” As the investigation continues, the focus shifts not only to what happened that night, but also to how such tragedies can be prevented in the future. Prestridge’s legal case remains open, and his fate will now be decided in court—but for one Georgia family, no sentence can bring back the daughter they lost in an instant.
