READING, Pa. – A man has been found guilty of killing two teenagers in Reading. On Thursday in court, the judge brought down the guilty verdict, taking off the streets the man who the Berks County district attorney describes as a very dangerous individual.
It all started in February 2022 at the Getty Mart on West Greenwich Street in Reading.
“There was no fight that really occurred,” said Berks County District Attorney John Adams. There was a cutting of the line inside the mini market, at best.”
Adams says once outside, the now 30-year-old Najee Jefferson, shot and killed two teens.
“One of those individuals did shoot him after the first victim was shot and killed,” Adams said.
Investigators say Jefferson fled the scene and was taken to a hospital in Philadelphia by a friend.
“While there, he gave them a false name.” Adams says. “He also gave them a false story about how he suffered the gunshot wound.”
Once fingerprinted, he was identified by police and taken into custody. At the time of the shooting Jefferson was on parole.
“This is also an individual who was not licensed and not authorized, based on his criminal history, to have a gun,” Adams said. “Yet, he’s walking around the streets with a firearm, shooting aimlessly and killing two people.”
On Thursday afternoon, a jury ruled a guilty verdict for the deaths of Alejandro Drullar and José Ventura-Jiménez, both teenagers at the time of their deaths.
“Mr. Jefferson is going to suffer grave consequences. He is facing a mandatory sentence of life in prison based upon the jury’s verdict, and this individual will never see the light of day as a result of his behavior,” Adams said
He added that this case highlights the issues surrounding gun violence in Reading.
“This was a senseless act of violence, the type of violence that we cannot tolerate in our community,” Adams said.
Jefferson will be sentenced in February of 2026, four years after the murders.