Authorities in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, say a late-night gathering among friends turned deadly after a stolen firearm was handled inside a bedroom in Pottstown. Prosecutors have charged 20-year-old Denajah Bailey in connection with the death of 21-year-old Xavier Jeffers, while another friend, Amaury Sahad, is also tied to the investigation. According to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, the case stems from events on May 20, when Bailey, Jeffers, and Sahad were inside Bailey’s bedroom and allegedly passed around a handgun that investigators say had been illegally obtained. Officials claim that after Bailey took possession of the weapon, she pointed it at Jeffers while they were sitting on the bed and pulled the trigger, striking him in the head.
Court documents cited by investigators say a fourth person was watching part of the encounter through a FaceTime call with Jeffers. That witness reportedly saw the group handling the firearm and pretending to shoot one another before hearing a gunshot. Authorities say the phone then fell to the floor, and a voice could allegedly be heard asking, “What did you do?” A 911 call was then made reporting what was described as an accidental shooting.
When police arrived at the home, they found Jeffers suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators later recovered a loaded Glock 43X handgun from the bedroom and determined that the firearm had been reported stolen months earlier in Philadelphia. Prosecutors also allege that Bailey admitted to pulling the trigger several times earlier in the evening, including once while aiming the gun at herself, but said it did not fire at those moments.
Bailey now faces charges including third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, possessing an instrument of crime, and recklessly endangering another person. Authorities have described the incident as a tragic example of how reckless handling of a stolen weapon can quickly lead to fatal consequences. The investigation remains ongoing as prosecutors continue reviewing the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the roles of each person present, and how the firearm entered the group’s possession.
