Gunman kills colleague inside Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, shoots 2 Philadelphia officers ahead of arrest: police

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) – Nursing assistant who allegedly shot and killed a colleague inside Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia has been charged with murder, attempted homicide, aggravated assault and other related charges .

Police said Stacey Hayes, 55, went to hospital around 12:08 a.m. Monday in a U-Haul, went to the ninth floor with blue scrubs and shot dead her colleague, the 43-year-old nursing assistant Anrae. James.

SEE ALSO: Nursing assistant shot dead by colleague at Jefferson Hospital was ‘good man’, says father

According to sources, surveillance footage shows Hayes walking behind James and opening fire as he sat at his workstation. Hayes then reportedly continued to shoot as James attempted to escape.

Hayes, who police said was armed with multiple weapons, then fled the U-Haul hospital.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said James was pronounced dead shortly after gunshots erupted inside the hospital.

The commissioner said it was not clear whether the suspect was working at the time. He may have accessed areas where only employees can enter, Outlaw said.

“We believe another employee has been targeted,” Outlaw said. “The reasons why, at this point, we still don’t know. “

Action News got police calls as the workplace shooting unfolded.

“In Jefferson, ninth floor, saying there’s a gunned down employee. Be advised, inside Jefferson Hospital we have an active shooter. It will be on the ninth floor. They have a man with scrubs and a mask. Ninth floor, nine west, “the transmission said.

Shooting with the police

Outlaw said at around 1:25 a.m., about an hour after the shooting, officers from the 16th Arrondissement were reported by a passer-by on 40th Street and Parkside Avenue in the city’s Parkside neighborhood, near the school. from the future. The school is approximately four miles from Jefferson Hospital.

“The report was that there was a man in a lab coat, with a gun or long gun, potentially firing bullets in the air or just having a gun,” Outlaw said.

Police said the officers ordered the man to “drop the gun” several times, but he ignored their verbal orders and fired his rifle at the officers. Four of the officers fired back. Two officers were hit by the gunfire.

A 30-year-old policeman was shot in the right elbow. He is in stable condition at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

A 32-year-old officer was punched in the nose and treated and released from Penn Presbyterian.

The two officers have been in the force for six years. The other two officers who unloaded their weapons were not hit by gunfire.

The suspect was shot in the upper body and neck, Outlaw said.

“We learned that he was wearing a bulletproof vest and carried several weapons. In addition to the long gun which was supposed to be an AR-15, he also carried some sort of semi-automatic handgun.” , Outlaw said.

The suspect was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in critical condition but is expected to survive.

Police say Hayes is charged with murder, attempted criminal manslaughter, aggravated assault, assault against law enforcement, VUFA and related offenses.

SEE ALSO: ‘This one hit home’: security expert gives insight into Philadelphia hospital shooting

What we know about Stacey Hayes

The suspect’s family told police he was recently suffering from mental health issues.

Sources say Hayes was known to police and had weapons confiscated from him for psychiatric reasons. He asked the courts last year to recover these weapons and succeeded.

Neighbors say Hayes no longer lived with his wife and children at their Parkside home, and sources say he appeared to be living in a U-Haul truck.

Statements

Jefferson Health released the following statement Monday afternoon:

“Today we mourn our colleague who died early this morning in a gun violence incident at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. There is a flood of sadness for all of us. Our hearts are broken as we come together for remember our colleague and recognize his teammates who tried to save him and protect other patients in the area.We also appreciate the bravery of our security guards, as well as the Philadelphia Police who were injured in apprehending the suspect You are all heroes.

We are united against violence. Today we stand in solidarity, offer one more measure of grace to each other, and encourage employees to seek help if they or a colleague are in distress.

As with all Jefferson facilities, we have comprehensive and consistent security measures and processes in place to ensure the safety of our patients, students, staff and visitors. Each Jefferson site has policies, procedures, continuing education, and exercises to mitigate security risks. Jefferson does not allow guns on any of his campuses.

In light of this tragic incident, we are providing psychological support to affected employees and patients. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement during their investigation.

We are also very proud of the professionalism and dedication of our colleagues who, despite this tragic incident, continued to carry out their duties taking care of their patients and each other.

Safety and security is a top priority for Jefferson. A thorough review will take place to ensure best practices in our security protocols for all Jefferson facilities. “

Mayor Jim Kenney released this statement:

“I want to recognize and commend the work of the first responders and police who responded to the horrific incident overnight at Jefferson Hospital. Their swift response to find the perpetrator kept this situation from escalating. Tragically a Jefferson employee was killed and two officers were seriously injured – my prayers are with them and their families. Early this morning I visited the officers to thank them for their heroic work and wish them a speedy recovery . The Philadelphia Police Department is conducting a full investigation. Another example of far too powerful weapons being in the hands of people who shouldn’t have access to them. We need common sense gun laws to stop those tragedies that have become too frequent. “

Workplace shots

The hospital shooting comes days after deadly gunfire inside an office building in the city’s Logan neighborhood. The victim, 25-year-old security guard Nassir Day, was shot in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Day worked at Pathways to Housing, which provides services to the homeless.

Police found the suspect, Wayne John Dorylis, 59, armed with a large knife and took him into custody without incident.

“What can I say about what is happening in such a short period of time? The good news is that we have the two suspects in custody,” Outlaw said.

She continued, “When you think about it, this is something you would usually see in a movie or in or in a TV series. I’m just happy, we’re all happy, that tonight’s injuries didn’t. out of date than they could have been. “