Suspect identified in ChristianaCare Wilmington shooting that left 1 dead, 1 injured

Why Should Delaware Care?
One person has died and another has been injured during a shooting at one of Delaware’s largest hospitals — a public crime that left the state’s largest city shaken.

A man opened fire at ChristianaCare’s Wilmington Hospital around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, killing one person and injuring another — a brazenly public slaying in a crowded workplace that shocked Delaware’s largest city.

Hours later on Tuesday night, law enforcement reported that they had arrested the suspect, John Wallace-Bey, 23, in Philadelphia, after he had fled the scene of the shooting.

In a Wednesday hearing, Wallace-Bey was denied bail by the Municipal Court of Philadelphia County, pending that extradition to face charges in Delaware.

The investigation is ongoing, but the Wilmington Police Department determined the shooting was a “targeted, isolated incident,” and not an aimless act of violence, officials said.

The victims were both 19 years old, and they along with Wallace-Bey were employees of ChristianaCare at the time of the shooting, hospital officials confirmed Wednesday.

Neither victim has yet to be identified by authorities. The injured victim is in critical but stable condition, according to Wilmington Police Department.

Once he is returned to Delaware, prosecutors plan to charge Wallace-Bey with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

During a Tuesday evening press conference, a visibly shaken Wilmington Mayor John Carney condemned the bloodshed.

“Any violence or loss of life in our city is unacceptable,” he said. “It’s particularly distressing when an incident like this occurs at a hospital whose fundamental purpose is to treat injuries and save lives. If ever there’s a place that should be a sanctuary from such violence, that is the place.”

ChristianaCare’s Wilmington Hospital, the second largest hospital in Delaware that sits alongside the city’s Washington Street Bridge in a sprawling tower campus, was put on lockdown after the shooting. That precaution has since been lifted.

“It’s truly extraordinary to see those caregivers showing up for work, and that’s what they do every day,” said Jenn Schwartz, the incoming president and CEO of ChristianaCare. “They care for people, they care for the community, and they’re showing up tonight to take that shift, even with what’s transpired today.”

Who is the shooter?

According to Wallace-Bey’s GitHub profile, he was an intern at ChristianaCare’s information technology department working on “coding side-projects gone haywire.”

He is a reportedly a graduate of Code Differently, a Delaware-based code training program.

In his LinkedIn profile, Wallace-Bey wrote, “I love a lot of things that have to do with technology, current events, and animals. It’s a bit of a weird combination, but I’m a bit of a weird person.

“I enjoy watching all of the current happenings in the world so much that I also look to alternative news sources just for a more nuanced view. I like to watch people train their dogs, and also animals fighting.”

According to Pennsylvania court records, Wallace-Bey petitioned to change his name from John Lawrence Wallace Jr. in 2020.

Law enforcement swamped scene

With the location of the shooter unknown throughout the lockdown, dozens of officers from a variety of police departments responded to the scene. SWAT teams were also deployed to sweep the building.

Also arriving on the scene were federal agents from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

A little after 5 p.m., people began walking out of the hospital’s southwest entrance, many with their hands in the air. They then congregated within the facility’s parking garage. 

Shortly thereafter, paramedics carted one patient to an awaiting ambulance. It is not immediately clear if the person was an admitted patient or a victim.

As the situation unfolded, several hospital employees and members of the public congregated around the perimeter of the hospital.

Among them were three hospital staffers who said they were taking a class to learn about active shooters when they were told to leave the building. While noting the inconceivability of the situation, they said they were directed out of the hospital through a side door exit.

Also outside the hospital was a man speaking with his wife, a ChristianaCare employee, who was still inside the main hospital building.

In an interview, the man said his wife told him the remaining employees had been shuttled into a single area, as officers went floor by floor through the building.

Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos confirmed that police had swept every room in the hospital and parking garages, giving him confidence the shooter had left the scene. He added that officers were reviewing surveillance camera footage to determine how the shooter may have left the building.