A 23-year-old man has been charged with murder after a shooting inside Wilmington Hospital in Delaware on Tuesday, June 16 which left one person dead and another critically injured.
Here is everything we know about the suspect and what happened.
Who is John Wallace-Bey?
John Wallace-Bey who is 23, of New Castle, Delaware, had been working as a community tech intern at ChristianaCare which is the health system that runs Wilmington Hospital, since February 2026, according to his LinkedIn profile.
His job involved fixing malfunctioning technology across the building, per CBS News.
A source confirmed to NBC Philadelphia that Wallace-Bey had been fired from the hospital earlier that same day before the shooting took place.
He had no prior legal issues, according to court documents. His neighbor, John Richardson has described him as someone who kept to himself.
“I was shocked, like, when you talk about things happening close to home, literally right next door,” Richardson told NBC Philadelphia. “So, I was completely shocked and it’s just an unfortunate situation that lives were taken yesterday.”
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What happened at Wilmington Hospital?
Around 3:30pm local time on Tuesday, June 16 and police were called to the 500 block of West 14th Street at Wilmington Hospital.
Officers found two 19-year-old gunshot victims near the hospital’s cafeteria. One of the victims died from his injuries. The other was placed in critical but stable condition as of Wednesday.
A ChristianaCare spokesperson confirmed to NBC Philadelphia that Wallace-Bey and both victims were all employees at the hospital at the time of the shooting. Officials described the incident as an isolated and targeted attack.
The hospital was placed on lockdown for several hours. Workers evacuated the building with their arms raised. The emergency department also diverted patients during this time.
Brian Pfeffer, a patient guide at Wilmington Hospital who was in the emergency room when the shots were fired has described the moment he heard them.
“Overwhelming emotion, just like, honestly, get out,” he told CBS News. “I know that sounds horrible, but that’s what they train us to do, get out. Schools, hospitals, there are a lot of people who came in here to be safe, and now you have this stuff happening. It’s scary, very scary.”
Pfeffer also called for action on gun violence: “I don’t have the answers, I’m not a politician, but someone needs to figure something out. This is a problem in America. You don’t hear about this anywhere else. There’s gotta be something done. I’m looking at the camera. You guys got to do something. This is unacceptable.”
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How was Wallace-Bey caught?
After the shooting, investigators said that the gunman fled in a white Toyota RAV4. Using surveillance technology, police tracked the vehicle from Wilmington all the way to the 800 block of West Wellens Street in Philadelphia, according to NBC Philadelphia.
Surveillance video shows the RAV4 arriving at that location at 6:21pm local time on Tuesday. In the footage, a woman approaches the driver and another woman exits the vehicle shortly after. Both women then walk away.
Police later spotted Wallace-Bey leave a nearby home and get into the passenger seat of a 2020 Toyota Sienna operating as an Uber, the source said. Officers stopped the Uber at 9th Street and Lindley Avenue in Philadelphia and took Wallace-Bey into custody. He was then transported to the Philadelphia Police Department.
Wallace-Bey will be extradited to Delaware, where he faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and carrying a concealed deadly weapon, according to reports.
Delaware Gov Matt Meyer said the shooting felt personal.
“Today is a sobering reminder that nobody is immune from the devastation of gun violence,” he said, per CBS News.
