PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A man shot and killed his co-worker inside Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Center City early Monday morning, according to police. Investigators said he then drove off in a U-Haul truck and shot two police officers in a gun battle in West Philadelphia, where was wounded himself.
Authorities are still trying to figure out what prompted the man to shoot and kill his coworker, as investigators say they believe the two were friends.
It was around midnight when police got a call that there was a shooting on the ninth floor of Jefferson Hospital. A 55-year-old man is suspected of shooting and killing his 43-year-old co-worker.
Police identified the victim as certified nursing assistant Anrae Thomas James.
Authorities are expected to charge the suspect. KYW Newsradio will not release his name until he is charged.
"We don’t know if the suspect was working tonight," said Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. "We do know that he entered the hospital in scrubs and possibly accessed portions of the hospital that only employees can access."
A motive for the shooting was not initially clear, but investigators believe the suspect and James were friends who worked together.
"Still really early," Outlaw continued. "We’re going through the decedent’s history, obviously, to find out what was going on between the two of them, and we’re obviously looking into the history of the shooter as well."
“We don’t know what the motivation was that caused our suspect to go in and murder this person, but based on everything I know, he was targeting this individual,” added Chesley Lightsey, homicide supervisor for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
“It is pretty clear … that the two people knew each other, and early indications is that they were actually friends.”
About an hour and a half after the shooting, police said the suspect made his way to 40th Street and Parkside Avenue, by the School of the Future. Someone called 911 because he may have been shooting into the air. Four 16th District police officers arrived, and police said the suspect shot two of them during an exchange of gunfire.
The suspect, who police said was wearing body armor and had several guns on him, was hit as well.
Police said one of the officers, a 30-year-old man, was hit in the elbow. Outlaw said he needed surgery and is listed in critical but stable condition. The other officer was grazed in the nose and is listed in stable condition. The suspect was hit in the upper body and is in critical condition.
The suspect and two wounded officers are all expected to survive.
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In a statement on the violence, Jefferson Health said:
“Today, we mourn our colleague who died early this morning during 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 stand together to remember our colleague and recognize his teammates who tried to save him and protect other patients in the area. We also value the bravery of our security guards, as well as Philadelphia police who were injured in apprehending the suspect. You are all heroes.
“We stand united against violence. Today, we stand with each other, offer an extra measure of grace to each other, and encourage employees to reach out for help if they, or a colleague is in distress.
“As with all Jefferson facilities, we have comprehensive, consistent security measures and processes in place to ensure the safety of our patients, students, staff and visitors. Each Jefferson location has policies, procedures, ongoing training and drills to mitigate safety risks. Jefferson does not permit weapons on any of its campuses.
“In light of this tragic incident, we are offering counseling support for impacted 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 safety protocols for all Jefferson facilities.”
This was the second deadly active shooter situation in Philadelphia in a matter of days. On Friday, a man was killed in an office building in North Philadelphia, at 5201 Old York Road.
An armed man walked into the building and shot 25-year-old security guard Nassir Day in the head, killing him. The gunman was arrested and charged.