Police arrested 23-year-old John Wallace-Bey in Philadelphia hours after a shooting inside Wilmington Hospital left one person dead and another critically wounded. He was later held in Philadelphia after appearing before a judge, who denied bail.
The case centers on two 19-year-old co-workers, whom investigators say Wallace-Bey shot inside the hospital on Tuesday. ChristianaCare said Wallace-Bey and the victims were all hospital employees.
Philadelphia arrest in Olney
Authorities say Wallace-Bey fled to Philadelphia’s Olney neighborhood in a Toyota Rav 4 after the shooting. He was taken into custody several hours later, and police sources say investigators tracked him with license plate reader technology.
Surveillance video shows officers and FBI agents closing in on him at North 9th Street and Lindley Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Doorbell camera footage showed police towing the vehicle shortly after it arrived at the scene.
Wilmington Hospital shooting
Police identified Wallace-Bey of New Castle as the suspect in the Tuesday shooting inside Wilmington Hospital. They charged him with murder and said investigators believe the shooting was a targeted attack.
That leaves a narrow set of facts for people tied to the hospital: one co-worker is dead, another remains critically wounded, and the suspect is now being held in Philadelphia while he awaits extradition back to Delaware.
New Castle reaction
John Richardson, a neighbor of Wallace-Bey in New Castle, said: “Just speechless that it happened. And it's an unfortunate situation and you hate to hear. Lives were lost yesterday. So, it's an unfortunate situation that happened,”
In Olney, Terrence Thomas reacted to the arrest by saying: “Us as a community, we have to do better. Keeping these things from out of our community,” He also said, “They got the guy. So, less crime should be on the street now,”
