Quick Summary of the Incident

On October 4th, 2021, a Thomas Jefferson Hospital employee named Stacey Hayes walked into work wearing his standard blue scrubs, blending in with his fellow co-workers. Unlike his fellow co-workers, however, Hayes was also equipped with with body armor and an AR-15 style rifle.

Anrae James, another employee of the hospital, was sitting at his workstation when Hayes suddenly opened fire on him. James would later die of his wounds.

Hayes escaped in a U-Haul truck after the shooting, according to police, but was subsequently apprehended by officers in the city’s Parkside neighborhood.

Policemen told Hayes to “lower the gun” many times, according to authorities, but he disobeyed their orders and fired his weapon at the officers. Four officers retaliated with gunfire. In the end, two officers and Hayes sustained non-life threatening injuries.

What do we know about Stacey Hayes?

Stacey Hayes is a 55-year-old man who worked as a Certificated Nursing Assistant at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. Recently, Hayes had been suffering from mental health issues and was estranged from his family. Hayes had been living out of U-Haul for some time before the incident.

Back in August 2020, Hayes had his weapons seized by the police for psychiatric reasons. Hayes, however, petitioned to the courts to get his weapons back. In June 2021, Hayes successfully regained possession of his weapons despite his unresolved mental health history.

Key Facts of the Incident

• Since Hayes worked at the hospital and was wearing his typical scrubs, he wouldn’t have looked suspicious to his fellow co-workers.
• Hayes was carrying a bag full of weapons with him as he casually walked by roughly 50 people on his way up to the 9th floor where Anrae James was.
• Hayes was equipped with an AR-15, a semi-automatic handgun, and body armor.
• Hayes knew James very well prior to this incident.  

Could the OPTU System be used?

The simple answer is yes, OPTU is useful for this type of situation.

First, let’s talk about observing and responding. When Hayes came into the building, it was not his shift, and he came in with a bag. Yes, Hayes could have been covering a shift for someone but workers in the building who knew Hayes would likely know whether he typically carried that bag in with him. Is there a security protocol for checking bags before workers start their shift? Also, Hayes walked past at least 50 people before encountering James. Was Hayes showing any abnormal behavior that would indicate intense frustration or anxiety?

Next, after observing, we can learn the first Smart Concept from the OPTU Smart Response: Situational Awareness. Situational Awareness is knowing the environment and what is occurring around you. For example, every nurse in the hospital that night should have been aware/made aware of what transpired and found concealment or cover to be protected.

In addition, the next Smart Concept is Continual Observation: using your five senses. The five senses are touch, hear, smell, taste and sight. All senses can be applied to any situation to determine what type of emergency it is.

Another Smart Concept you can use is Communication. Communication is key when it comes to emergencies. When communicating with others, it needs to be clear and concise with plain language so anyone can understand. Remember, it is important not to use code words in case everyone in the line of communication does not understand the code for the term.

Lastly, you would want to use “Move, Hide, and Engage.” This is where you move yourself out of the emergency when it is safe to hide yourself or find cover to protect yourself from the situation and engage by stopping, diffusing, or appeasing the crisis going on around you.

In Conclusion…

Yes, Stacey Hayes could have been stopped. Here are the reasons:

• His family knew the status of Hayes mental health and did not tell anyone about it.

• The hospital let Hayes walk in when he was not scheduled for a shift with a bag of undisclosed items. Of course, no one wants to assume someone is carrying weapons, but the world we’re living in has changed.

Those key signs that something was wrong were missed from the beginning. This is where the OPTU system can be used. Anyone in the hospital, or outside where the second shooting happened, can use these important methods to protect themselves. The OPTU System is to “Reduce Risk, Improve Personal Safety and Increase Preparedness.”

References

(1) Rourke, Matt. Pedestrians Walk Past Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Oct. 4, 2021. Philadelphia , 4 Oct. 2021.

(2) Staff, 6Abc Digital, director. Two Philadelphia Police Officers Were Injured in a Gun Battle with a Suspect Who Shot and Killed a Coworker in Jefferson Hospital, Authorities Say.6abc Philadelphia, WPVI-TV, 5 Oct. 2021, https://6abc.com/philadelphia-hospital-shooting-thomas-jefferson-university-center-city-philly/11083785/. Accessed 20 Oct. 2021