PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A 55-year-old man has been charged with the murder of his co-worker at Jefferson Hospital in Center City early Monday morning, as well as shooting two Philadelphia police officers, according to police.
Stacey Hayes, from Philadelphia, faces charges of murder, attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, assault on law enforcement and other offenses, authorities say. Police are still trying to figure out his motive.
Police said that just after 12:10 a.m. Monday, officers received a call about someone shooting Anrae James, 43, numerous times inside the hospital on South 11th Street. He died about an hour later, while Hayes, who was wearing work clothes at the time, escaped the hospital in a U-Haul, according to officials. Investigators have said Hayes and James were friends.
Just before 1:30 a.m that morning, police received numerous calls about gunshots near 4100 Parkside Avenue in East Parkside, just outside Fairmount Park, according to investigators.
Officers on the property of School of the Future at 38th and Lansdowne Drive, a few blocks away, spotted Hayes wearing body armor. According to police, he then shot his assault rifle before police told him to drop the gun several times. When he ignored their demands and began firing at police, which is when they returned fire.
The officers were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and they were listed in stable condition, expected to physically recover.
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Police said Hayes shot one officer in his right arm and another officer in his nose, while an officer hit Hayes in his collarbone.
Hayes was also taken to Penn Presbyterian and was listed in critical condition after the shooting, but is expected to recover.