Anrae James Photo Courtesy of Facebook/ 6abc
Anrae James, 43, a nursing assistant at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, was fatally shot on October 4 by a coworker who was reportedly once his friend.
Stacey Hayes drove to the hospital in a U-Haul truck, snuck up behind James, who was sitting at a workstation and began shooting.
Police say Hayes continued firing bullets even after James tried to run away.
Hayes fled the scene of the incident in the truck,
according to CBS Philadelphia. However, he was soon caught by police who tracked him down in West Philadelphia.Shockingly, Hayes has reportedly been armed with body armor and various weapons and decided to engage in a shootout with officers, leaving two of them wounded before the police shot and arrested him.
The district attorney reported that Hayes and James knew each other and were even friends.
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Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said, “We do believe that that other employee was targeted, but the reason why is unclear.”
Jefferson Hospital released a statement that stated, in part: “Safety and security is a top priority for Jefferson. A thorough review will take place to ensure best practices in our safety protocols for all Jefferson facilities.”
The hospital has since offered counseling support for impacted employees and patients and said they keep a close relationship with law enforcement during their investigation of this case.
“A lot of people didn’t know what was going on,” said Shae Spicer, a registered nurse at Jefferson. “A lot of people on that side of the building on the higher floors could hear gunshots, so they immediately went into action and hid.”
Jefferson Hospital union held a press conference where they said, “Our victim’s mother is a retiree of our union, and his brother is a fellow member at Jefferson as well, so want to keep all of them in our thoughts and prayers.”
Hayes’ motive is still unknown.