In Reading, Pennsylvania, the lives of two teenagers were cut short by gunfire. One of the victims was José Ventura-Jiménez, an 18-year-old Hispanic/Latino male. The other was 17-year-old Alejandro Drullar.
The shooting happened on the morning of February 20, 2022, at a Getty Mart gas station located in the 200 block of West Greenwich Street. According to authorities, an interaction between two parties took place inside the store.
Shortly after, a burst of gunfire erupted outside, leaving both José and Alejandro fatally wounded.
The Reading Police Department, with Criminal Investigator Ryan Crampsie leading the case, began an immediate investigation. They learned the suspect, NyJee Jefferson of Philadelphia, had fled the scene. A friend drove him to a hospital in Philadelphia, where Jefferson gave a false name and a fabricated story about how he had sustained a gunshot wound. After being identified through his fingerprints, he was taken into custody on the same day as the shooting, initially on an unrelated parole violation warrant. An arrest warrant for the homicides followed, with charges including first-degree and third-degree murder. Investigators noted that Jefferson was on parole at the time and was not legally permitted to have a gun.
In December 2025, a Berks County jury found NyJee Jefferson guilty of first-degree murder, third-degree murder, and related offenses for the deaths of both teenagers. Berks County District Attorney John Adams called the killings a "senseless act of violence." In February 2026, four years after the murders, Jefferson was sentenced to life in prison plus additional years. Following the verdict, the district attorney stated that Jefferson faced a mandatory life sentence and would "never see the light of day as a result of his behavior." The case is considered closed as of February 2026.
