What to Know
- In June, Philadelphia police were ordered by a judge to return a 12-gauge shotgun, Panther AR-15 rifle and a Smith & Wesson pistol to Stacey Hayes, the 55-year-old man accused of killing his co-worker inside a hospital and injuring two officers in a shooting spree early Monday morning.
- The court records do not include any reason regarding why Hayes’ weapons were initially taken away.
- The NBC10 Investigators also looked into Hayes’ prior criminal charges but found nothing that may have restricted his gun ownership.
A man accused of killing his co-worker inside a hospital and then shooting two police officers had his guns taken away from him months prior to the shooting spree but was able to get them back after asking a Philadelphia judge, according to court records obtained by the NBC10 Investigators.
Stacey Hayes, 55, of Philadelphia, is charged with murder, attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, assault on law enforcement and other related offenses after he allegedly shot and killed his co-worker, Anrae James, 43, of Elkins Park.
Investigators said Hayes was armed with a gun when he killed James inside Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and later had an AR-15 rifle when he shot two officers near a Philadelphia school early Monday morning.
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Hayes was eventually captured during the shootout with police and remains in the hospital. Police have not yet released his mugshot. The two officers who were shot are in stable condition and expected to recover.
Court documents show that Hayes filed a motion in April asking a Philadelphia judge to order police to return his property. In the document, Hayes wrote, “because the property was purchased legally by me, I didn’t commit any crime and I feel like the property should be returned to me because I am not a threat to anyone. I just want to be able to protect myself and my family if needed.”
In June, Philadelphia police were ordered by a judge to return a 12-gauge shotgun with 12 rounds, a Panther AR-15 rifle and a Smith & Wesson pistol with three mags and 39 rounds to Hayes.
Investigators
Digging deeper into stories that affect the Philadelphia region
The NBC10 Investigators reached out to Philadelphia Police to find out why they had confiscated Hayes’ weapons in the first place. They have not yet responded. The court records do not include any reason regarding why Hayes’ weapons were initially taken away.
The NBC10 Investigators also looked into Hayes’ prior criminal charges but found nothing that may have restricted his gun ownership. Hayes had been charged with DUI back in 2003. Four other court records traced back to Hayes are marked “limited access” and protected under Pennsylvania law from public viewing.
It’s unclear at this point if the judge who allowed Hayes to get his weapons back reviewed those four prior cases, what he was charged or convicted of or why the cases have a “limited access” designation.
The NBC10 Investigators will continue to provide more information on Hayes’ criminal history as it becomes available.
