POTTSTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — On the eve of her murder trial, a 19-year-old from Philadelphia pleaded guilty to a deadly 2022 shooting inside a parked car in Pottstown.
Jahme Barnes pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and aggravated assault for shooting and killing 25-year-old Dakari Rome, and shooting a 17-year-old in the hand on Aug. 28, 2022, on Grant Street near Union Alley.
Barnes was in the driver’s seat of Rome’s SUV — Rome was in the front passenger seat.
The 17-year-old was sitting in the middle of the back seat, with 20-year-old Kahseem Williams next to him on the passenger side.
Charging documents say Williams asked the 17-year-old to see his gun. When the teen handed it to him, Williams gave it to Barnes, who started taking videos of herself waving it around, then pointed it at the 17-year-old and said, “What else you got?”
The teen told police he put his left hand up, a shot was fired, and it went through his hand and hit Rome in the chest.
Investigators say text messages between Rome and Williams show the two were planning on robbing the 17-year-old.
Williams pleaded guilty to third-degree murder last summer and is serving 12 to 24 years in state prison.
Barnes will be sentenced later this year. Prosecutors agreed to cap their request for her sentence at 12 to 25 years.