In the summer of 2020, a friendly gathering in Macon, Georgia, took a tragic turn, ending the life of 30-year-old Westley Faulks. On the evening of Wednesday, July 1st, Faulks was visiting his friend, 28-year-old Devin Pleas, at the Hidden Lake Apartments. The two men were showing each other their new handguns, a common interest that would have unforeseen and devastating consequences.
During the exchange, Pleas was handling his firearm when it discharged.
Believing he had cleared the weapon, he was tragically mistaken. A single bullet struck Faulks in the eye, inflicting a mortal wound. Emergency services were called, and Faulks was rushed to the Medical Center, Navicent Health. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he was pronounced dead in the early hours of Thursday, July 2, 2020.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Devin Pleas was taken into custody by the Bibb County Sheriff's Office. He was initially arrested and charged with reckless conduct and was able to bond out of jail on the night of the incident. However, as the investigation progressed and the gravity of the situation became clear with Faulks's passing, the charges against Pleas were upgraded.
On Thursday afternoon, following the death of his friend, Devin Pleas was arrested for a second time. The charge was elevated to involuntary manslaughter, a felony reflecting a death caused by criminal negligence. He was subsequently booked back into the Bibb County jail, this time being held without the possibility of bond. The case then moved into the judicial system for prosecution.
