(Photo by Andrew Merry)
Roomies, a group of friends in Pennsylvania reportedly spent part of the evening hanging out in a bedroom, but what authorities say unfolded next has now left one young man dead and two others facing criminal charges. The incident involves Xavier Jeffers and his friends, Denajah Bailey and Amaury Sahad. Investigators say it all started when friends passed around a stolen firearm. Now, details from the investigation are shedding light on the moments leading up to the tragic situation.
According to the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office, prosecutors charge 20-year-old Denajah Bailey with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, possessing an instrument of crime, and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the death of 21-year-old Xavier Jeffers.
Authorities allege that on May 20, Bailey, Jeffers, and Amaury Sahad sat inside Baileys bedroom in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and handled a firearm that investigators say Sahad illegally obtained. Prosecutors claim that after Bailey got possession of the weapon, she pointed it at Jeffers while the two were sitting on her bed and pulled the trigger, striking him in the head.
Investigators also revealed that a fourth individual was reportedly witnessing parts of the evening through a FaceTime call with Jeffers. According to court documents, the caller allegedly saw the group passing the firearm around and pretending to shoot one another before hearing a gunshot. Reports state that moments later, the phone fell to the floor, and someone could allegedly be heard asking, “What did you do?” Authorities say a 911 call was then placed reporting an accidental shooting.
When officers arrived at the residence, they reportedly found Jeffers suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators recovered a loaded Glock 43X handgun from the bedroom and later determined the firearm had been reported stolen months earlier in Philadelphia. Authorities also allege that Bailey told investigators she had pulled the trigger on the weapon multiple times earlier in the evening, including once while pointing it at herself, without the gun firing.
