Wilmington Hospital shooting suspect identified, charged with murder

WILMINGTON, Del. - Authorities in Wilmington, Delaware have identified a man they say shot two people inside of Wilmington Hospital Tuesday, killing one and critically injuring the other. 

What we know:

Wilmington Police shared an update Wednesday morning identifying 23-year-old John Wallace-Bey as the suspect in Tuesday's shooting. 

Wallace-Bey was taken into custody in Philadelphia later Tuesday night and is awaiting extradition to Delaware. Once extradited, he will be charged with murder, attempted murder, and multiple firearms offenses. 

Sources have told FOX 29 that Bey was an intern at the hospital and had been let go that day. ChristianaCare has confirmed that he was a part of a non-clinical IT internship program, but say the report he had been terminated is inaccurate. They say he was an active employee with ChristianaCare and had valid employee badge access at the time of the incident.

The backstory:

Wilmington police were called to Wilmington Hospital in the 500 block of West 14th Street around 3:30 p.m. for a shooting inside the hospital. 

Upon arrival, officers found two 19-year-old males with gunshot wounds. One victim died, while the other remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition. 

In an update Tuesday night, police say the suspect had been taken into custody in Philadelphia.

The hospital was placed on lockdown during the police response, but that lockdown has since been lifted and officers are clearing the area. 

Neighbors react to arrest of hospital shooting suspect 

Local perspective:

Police say neighbors in Bey’s New Castle neighborhood expressed shock after learning about the shooting and the suspect’s connection to their community.

"Last night I was walking my dog and I seen a bunch of cop cars yesterday, which they were unmarked," said Josh Richardson, a neighbor of the suspect. 

"Just looking it up on the Facebook I saw a picture of him kind of tapped my husband and said oh my gosh, I think that’s our next-door neighbor showed him the picture and he say yeah that’s that’s our neighbor. I was just shocked couldn’t couldn’t believe it," said Niesha Davis, another neighbor of the suspected shooter.

Neighbors told FOX 29 that Bey lived at home with his parents and described him as quiet and to himself. 

"He seemed quiet, to himself, nothing out of the ordinary where we would expect something like this," said Davis. 

What they're saying:

During the presser Tuesday night, Mayor John Carney called the shooting a "senseless act of violence" and thanked first responders for their bravery. 

"Any violence or loss of life in our city is unacceptable. It's particularly distressing when an incident like this occurs in a hospital whose fundamental purpose is to treat injuries and save lives," said Carney. 

In a statement released Wednesday, Carney said he was "heartbroken for the victims and their loved ones, for the ChristianaCare team, and for the entire city of Wilmington." Carney also called it "particularly distressing that such violence and tragedy unfolded at a facility with a primary function of providing lifesaving care."

Carney and Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos also thanked first responders who jumped into action Tuesday.

"Day in and day out, these brave police officers run toward danger to protect and serve our community, and their response yesterday was no different," Campos said. 

"Every Delawarean deserves to feel safe, whether at home, at school, at work, or seeking care at a hospital. Today is a sobering reminder that no one is immune from the devastation of gun violence," said Gov. Matt Meyer.

Christiana Care released the following statement Tuesday night:

"Our community is mourning a tragic shooting that occurred earlier today at our Wilmington Hospital campus. The situation has been resolved, and the campus is now open, safe and secure with no ongoing threat to patients, caregivers or visitors.
Wilmington Hospital is open and fully operational.

We are tremendously grateful for the professionalism and courage shown by our caregivers, who continued to put our patients and community first during a difficult situation. We deeply appreciate our partners at the Wilmington Police Department, our first responders, and our ChristianaCare Public Safety team. And as always, we thank our community for patience, trust and support."

What we don't know:

The deceased victim's identity has not yet been shared by police. The motive is also unknown at this time. 

WilmingtonCrime & Public Safety