Man convicted in girlfriend’s shooting death pleads guilty, sentenced to 10 years

Shyheem Donley is facing criminal charges after he allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend Saturday afternoon, according to police.

Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office

Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office

Shyheem Donley is facing criminal charges after he allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend Saturday afternoon, according to police.

Editor’s note: This story was updated May 2024.

A man who was charged in the fatal shooting of his girlfriend took a plea deal in April 2024 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Shyheen Donley, 23, was originally charged with murder in the death of 25-year-old Aneicia Temple. As part of the plea deal, the charge was reduced to involuntary manslaughter with a 10-year prison sentence. Donley also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm during a felony and was sentenced to five years on probation on that charge. A charge for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon was dropped.

A condition of his probation is that he must obtain a GED, seek and maintain gainful employement and can’t possess firearms.

Officials initially believed Donley had been playing with a 9mm Beretta handgun when it went off, killing his girlfriend. He was later accused of intentionally pulling the trigger, according to court documents.

The shooting took place Jan. 28, 2023 in a breezeway at the Northside Plaza Apartment Homes on Markham Street in the Castleberry Hill neighborhood. Responding officers arrived around 2:30 p.m. and found a Temple with a gunshot wound, police said in a statement. She died at the hospital.