How Police Captured The Arkansas Hospital Shooter

[music]. Hey, put a shield on that window. >> SWAT officers are deep inside St. Vincent North Hospital. Just minutes. earlier, about a dozen gunshots were. fired from somewhere inside and now the. entire building is on lockdown. >> Who's to shoot? We don't know.

is 107. >> The victim is 107. Yes. >> State police got the bird up in the air. They're covering the rooftop. >> The shooter has already claimed his. first victim and with no idea what his. next move is. Police are racing against. the clock to find him before he takes. more innocent lives. >> Attempt entry into ICU 2 minutes ago on. the second floor. Hospital on lock down. Has not been located. This way. This.

way. That way. Just go that way. >> It's around 10:00 a.m. on September 28th. at Saint. Vincent North Hospital, one of. the hospital's busiest times of day. Surgeons are mid- procedure with. patients lying unconscious. Suddenly, about a dozen gunshots ring out from. somewhere inside the hospital, throwing.

the entire building into chaos. Moments. later, 911 calls begin flooding in. >> Sherwood 911. What's the address of the. emergency? >> Uh, we're at Frank Vincent Hospital. I. don't know what happened. We heard. gunshots and we went out the unit. elevator. >> Sherwood 911. What's the location of. emergency? Same in active shooter. It. was right outside my room. >> It was right outside your room. What. room are you in? >> 405. >> How many shots you hear? >> About 10. >> Approximately 10 minutes after the 911. calls. An army of law enforcement is.

surrounding the hospital. State police, SWAT teams, the FBI, a bomb squad, and. even a helicopter watching from above. >> Somebody Kim, can you do me a huge. favor? Can you identify where your. people are so we can kind of figure out. what we got out here? Tell you what, >> the plan is to lock down every exit, evacuate civilians, secure the building, and locate the shooter. But that's. easier said than done because Saint.

Vincent North is only one of two. hospital buildings on the same campus. Inside, there are more than 70 rooms, a. maze of hallways, and about 20 exits to. cover. They prepare to rush into the. hospital, but the odds are in the. shooters favor. >> Where are they? >> I don't know. I think. Is that where they're at? That's where.

the strobe victim is. Pretty proud of. this door. Sheriff prop the door. >> Blue, blue, blue. >> Coming. >> Blue, blue, blue. This is the ER. >> I got this. >> Where the ER patients? >> With no confirmation on the shooter, officers are left with no choice but to. treat everyone inside as a potential. suspect. If they're not careful or. patient enough, things could go terribly.

wrong. Just moments later, that danger becomes. very real. I'm on you. Behind you, FBI. >> Clear.

>> Walk out slowly. >> Okay, that's fine. >> Walk out. >> Miraculously, the man inside turns out. to be a patient. Had officers acted too. quickly, an innocent civilian could have. been killed. This shows just how. delicate the situation is and the. immense pressure officers are working. under. But the lack of the suspect's. identity and his goal is only their. first problem as a much larger issue. begins to emerge on me. I got cross.

doors. >> We are leaving too many locked doors, guys. >> We got a freaking problem with locked. doors. >> All right. Here. Watch out. No, we we're. just the GI. He's back there. >> Hey, who's got keys for these doors? >> You got three stacked, ready to go. You're going in [music] with us? >> Yeah. >> All right, four stack ready to go. >> Most of the rooms are either locked or. barricaded by patients and staff.

Officers have no way of knowing who's. behind each door, and checking them all. in a hospital this big would take too. much time. Quickly, they begin to. realize they are at a severe. disadvantage. So, they shift their focus. to the fourth floor, where the 911 calls. first place the shooter. It's a decision. they won't realize is a mistake until. much later. They waste no time and rush. for the stairs to confront the suspect, unaware he has already claimed his first. victim.

Y. squeeze that foot up. Oh, what you got. there?

Did you call? Where's it at? He He left. >> He left. >> He left it and. >> Okay. >> Sit down. >> You're okay. >> He did. What is. >> we get description? There was another. victim in there. >> Okay. I need to go with this officer. here. Go with him and then he's going to. get some information from you.

This door here. Get the door. It's clear. The victim appears to be a male visitor.

in his early 20s, shot multiple times in. the body and head. Tragically, he's. already gone, leaving officers with no. clear lead on the shooter, who's already. fled the scene. Despite this, the. shooter isn't far from the officers. In. fact, he's just one floor beneath them, making his way through the hospital. Meanwhile, officers are still operating. at a complete disadvantage. They don't. know who he is, what he looks like, or. what his end goal is. But that's about. to change.

>> Okay, I need to go with this officer. here. Go with him. And then he's going. to get some information from me. >> Really confused. >> He is about 5'8. He's a very skinny um. white dude. He had blue jeans and I. think a black shirt on. Kind of sunken. in. >> Blue jeans and what kind? black shirt, just t-shirt. I believe his girlfriend. or ex-girlfriend is in another room and. his mom is calling her and I told her. not to answer the phone, but she.

probably has a picture of him. >> We're in 409. >> She I moved her to 410. >> What the nurse tells officers makes one. thing clear. They need to speak with the. ex-girlfriend as she may be the only. person who can identify both the shooter. and the victim. They don't waste time. and an officer approaches her room to. speak with her. What she reveals becomes. the breakthrough the officers have been. waiting for. But before we get to that,

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>> My fianc. >> The one that. was. >> His name is Leon. >> What is it? >> Leon with. >> Do you know who the shooter was? >> Yeah, it was AJ. >> AJ. on the phone with Dispatch. >> That's what he's talking. >> Where did that. She's been. >> She was. She was the patient. He was.

>> After what feels like hours of. uncertainty, officers finally know. exactly who they're looking for. Raymond. Alan Love Jr., also known as AJ, Jade's. ex-boyfriend. He was in the hospital. visiting her after she was hospitalized. with a high fever. However, Jade has a. secret and is withholding crucial. information from the officers. One. officer picks up on that hesitation and. decides to press further. A decision. that will reveal just how dangerous AJ.

really is. >> Let's just start off with what happened. today. >> I got on the phone with [music] Cindy. and she was like, "AJ wants to come walk. there to make sure you're okay.". >> It's okay. Just take your time. >> He comes up here. He asks me about my. health, you know, asks me about my. fiance. Max if we're going to get married or. anything. I'm like, "Yeah, I'm planning. on it. That's my [music] future right. there." He was like, "How long have. y'all been together?" And we were like,

"It's going to be 3 years in November.". And right after that, shots were fired. >> How many shots do you think? >> Four. >> Four. >> Two in his cheek and two [music] in his. neck, I believe. After that, he still. had the gun out, pulled it, pulled it to. me, and I tried to press the button. I. was pressing this thing, but I wasn't. looking cuz I was just trying to get. someone in here and I was screaming. And. then after he heard someone call in, he. just walks out so calmly like we don't.

do anything. >> Are they friends? >> They don't know each other. That was the. first time they ever met. >> How long have you known AJ? >> I guess you can say 8 years. >> 8 years. Why do you think AJ would have. done this? >> He literally said to the nurses after he. killed my fiance that he got to serve. my fiance. Our relationship wasn't. ideal, but he completely changed himself. to be a better person. >> And I'm so proud of him. >> Did AJ think Leon was a bad person? >> Yeah. He didn't want to hear it. He was.

like, if he was already a bad person to. have been with, he's probably he's still. going to be one now. Leighton was a good. person. He didn't deserve this. >> I believe that. I I really believe that. Well, it sounds like Jade's relationship. with Leighton, her fianceé, was volatile. at times. Something she told AJ, her. ex-boyfriend, about what she shared with. him pushed him towards a dangerous. conclusion. That he had no other choice. but to do something about Leighton. And.

having already crossed that line and. based on the way AJ left the room, officers can't rule out the possibility. that he may lash out again, especially. towards anyone he believes wronged Jade. But AJ continues to be one step ahead. Right now, he's taking the most obvious. route out of the hospital and the one. they least expect, the main elevator. At. the same time, officers rush down floor. by floor, securing each and every room,

hoping they will intercept him before he. takes another victim. >> Police department. Anybody in here? >> Hello? >> Is this by yourself? >> Here, I'm going shut this door. Okay. Okay.

Police Department. You the only one in. here? >> All right. >> Work our way down. The whole fourth. floor has been cleared. So. >> the fourth floor. >> Yeah. So that's the ICU. They're. locked down. >> Yeah, they're locked out.

>> You guys okay? >> Okay. Team already been through here. Yes, sir. >> They already made contact with you. Okay. Keep the doors locked. Okay. >> Third floor is clear. >> Just make contact with team on ICU. Third floor is clear. Moving our way. down to two. >> Officers have now fully secured the. fourth and third floors. At the same. time, a second team has been working its. way up the building, clearing the first. and second floors. Now, they're moving. up the stairwell to meet the other team. and coordinate their next move. But. they're about to face another issue. >> Someone inside the hospital.

lab. >> I'm not sure what that is within the. hospital. But the GI lab second floor in. the nurse is second floor. >> Second floor? We just went down second. floor. Even though the team had just. cleared the second floor before moving. up, AJ somehow managed to be there at. the same time, slipping through their. fingers once again. With no other. choice, officers immediately turned. back, racing down to the second floor, desperate to find him. >> Blue, BLUE, BLUE, BLUE, BLUE. >> ALL RIGHT, coming through. Coming.

through. All right, check that. Yep. more. >> Okay. >> Yeah. All right. Check behind the door. >> Where you at? Can you show your hands. first? You mind the equipment there?

>> That's the short police. You're safe. You can step out. Is he back there with. you? You by yourself. >> Come on back. Come on back. >> So you're back by yourself. >> Okay. Come on. Nobody else is with you. Okay. Come on. Come on. H. You're safe. We got you. All right. Come on. You're. coming with me. Okay. >> All right. >> Yeah. You thinking like me? >> I don't trust nothing. >> Oh, no, buddy. Go ahead. >> Shut that thing off. I need four people.

>> Sir, are you by yourself? >> Yeah. As they clear the remaining rooms, officers encounter patients trapped in. hospital beds and surgeons still. operating mid-procedure. Dozens of. defenseless people are still inside the. hospital. And if AJ crosses paths with. them, they stand no chance. [music]. Police need to move faster before the. inevitable happens. >> Police department. [clears throat]. look around the corner. >> Hey, where are they at?

>> Like right in the in the. >> So, can you exit out of this door? >> Yes. So, what we going to do? Hey, come. I was going to be with me. Hey, everybody's going to exit out this door. [music] I'm going to be in front. He's. going to be in be behind you. But. everybody in this office need to exit. out the door. >> Officers have now secured the entire. building. And there's no trace of AJ. anywhere. Somehow, he's managed to. escape completely unnoticed. Exactly how. he pulled that off would remain a. mystery until much later. And while.

officers in the first building are left. with no answers, a team in the second. building is on the verge of a. breakthrough. They've come across a. woman who claims to know exactly where. AJ is. >> I called. him something. So I called him and I. said, "Hey, my life is over." What do. you mean your life is over? AJ just told. me. It's It depends on what happened. What' you do? I just killed somebody. Melissa, I just put 13 shot to his head. No. No. No. AJ, no. What do you mean?

You heard of them? >> Where are you saying Vincent and. Sherwood? AJ, >> did you leave? He said, "Yes." AJ, why. did you leave? He said, "Because the. cops are going to be there. It's a. situation where they shoot and to shoot. You're in a a public area and you're. shooting. They're to shoot to kill. >> I won't survive prison. I'm not going to. do it. I'm just going to cuz the way my. life is over and I'd rather do it by my. own hands." But. >> he likes to go to Pinnacle Mountain. Speaking with officers is Melissa Love.

it, AJ's sister. She arrived at the. hospital just minutes earlier after AJ. told her he had murdered someone. According to Melissa, AJ plans to end. his life on a trail at Pinnacle Mountain. State Park. That possibility, however, is quickly ruled out because AJ has one. more surprise in store for police. One. final 911 call. A gas station employee. located 15 miles from the Saint. In. Vincent North Hospital reports that a. man has disarmed himself inside the.

store. Officers rush there immediately. After evading police for over 2 hours, slipping through their fingers, and. outsmarting them at every turn, they're. finally going to meet their killer. >> Watch out. Watch out.

>> What's your name? >> What's your name? >> Raymond. >> Lean up. >> What's your last name? >> It's not necessary, sir. >> What is your last name? >> Love it, sir. Love it. >> A communications. Notify. everybody at the baptism share with that. we do have Raymond. Love it. Here. >> He's got bullets magazine. Let's get. him. >> Send up. >> Hey, I ain't got a. I got a key. >> Okay, you're fine. Where's your car at?

>> It's not here. >> Where's your car at? >> It's not here, sir. It's not my car. >> How'd you We'll go this car here. Okay. >> Okay. >> Do you have anything else in your. pockets? >> Yeah. >> All right. We're right here. >> I don't have any weapons. >> Okay. >> All right. We'll sit back here, buddy. After AJ is put in the back of [music] a.

patrol car, he's transported to the. station and placed in an interrogation. room. Even though he surrendered. voluntarily, this interview is critical. [music] Despite the overwhelming. evidence, AJ still has ways to lessen. the consequences. His voluntary. surrender gives him leverage. And with. Jade reluctant to speak openly about her. relationship with AJ, he's now the. person controlling what detectives learn. about. Interrogating him is Drew. Edwards, a veteran of the Sherwood. Police Department with more than a.

decade of experience. Currently serving. as a police captain, AJ's interrogation. begins, but almost immediately the. detective is facing his first issue. >> How you doing, Raymond? >> Hey, so uh I'm Detective Edwards at the. show with this department. So, we pretty. much have a lot of evidence for this. case. So, we're just trying to get talk. to you, get your side of the story, and. clear some things up. >> So, do you want to talk to me? >> I want to talk to you, but I I just.

I don't know if I really should. I feel. like I should talk to my lawyer first or. a lawyer first. I just feel like people. are trying to nail me to the cross. Needless to say, AJ's first words are. the last thing Detective Edwards wants. to hear. Edward's next move will decide. whether AJ keeps talking or asks for a. lawyer, ending any chance of hearing his. unfiltered account. >> So, I just want to let you know that I. talked to a lot of your family members. and every single one of them have. pointed to the fact that you're not a.

bad kid. You're not a bad guy. What you. did was for a reason. >> Sir, I lost my mind. I mean, that's. point blank. Yeah. So, after the. incident, how did you leave the. hospital? >> I got to the elevator and that's about. when it it really started to to sink in. and I was freaking out. I heard them. call over the intercom saying that there. was an active shooter and I was in the. elevator going like for the button when. I had heard the intercom.

>> Okay. >> My my brain was all over the place in. that moment. I got off on whatever. floor. I can't I don't know what floor. it was. I don't think it was the first. floor. It was one of the other floors. >> Did you talk to some like nurses or. anything? >> Yeah. I I started asking people like, "Where's the exit?" and stuff. At that. moment, all I could think of was like, "Oh god, they're going to come up here. and kill me. They're thinking there's. somebody here shooting everybody." At. some point, I I had found a stairwell.

and that's how I got out of the. hospital. >> Okay. So, did you leave out the front. entrance the way you go? >> I don't I don't know, sir. To be honest, I don't know which entrance at the side. Maybe. >> clearly [snorts]. AJ didn't have an intricate [music]. escape plan after committing the murder. Yet, he still somehow managed to slip. past a law enforcement army. In that. moment, AJ had a brief but crucial. advantage that the detectives are yet to. learn about. For now, though, the focus. is another question. How did AJ escape.

the hospital area after leaving the. building? For a second time, AJ had made. the most obvious choice and somehow it. worked flawlessly. >> I guess my next question, where'd you. park your car at? Well, like when I. pulled into the hospital, I pulled over. to the left of that entrance. So, I. guess if you were coming out of the. hospital, I was like towards the towards. the back. I I had already decided like I. need to turn myself in. I knew like that.

was my only logical move. I knew like if. I turned myself in that the car would. probably get impounded and like that's. not my car. That was my girlfriend's. car, Haley Martin. And you know she's. pregnant and stuff. But I was trying to. look out for her too cuz I knew she. needed the car, right? >> And so I I left the car there and that's. when I left. And somewhere along the. way, I said, "Fuck it. [music] I'll just. go to the gas station and ask to borrow. their phone." Okay.

>> And so that's what I did. >> How an army of officers and even a. helicopter overhead failed to spot AJ. from right outside the hospital remains. a complete mystery. What stands out, however, is that AJ has a pregnant. girlfriend. Yet, he was visiting Jade, an ex-girlfriend of his in the hospital. Clearly, there's something detectives. are missing about his relationship with. Jade. So, they ask him. And once AJ. starts talking, a lot of things start to.

make sense to them. >> A big question is um that we've been. like trying to figure out and we became. kind of like mixed answers on is your. relationship with Jade. If you could. just touch into that, like when when you. first met her, how y'all's relationship. progressed. >> for years? I mean, I guess you could say. we were more like brother and sister, but we weren't related or anything. Over. the years, I started to become I fell in. love with her. I mean, I think she loved. me. She said she loved me, but after a.

while, we had a small relationship. It. was it was brief. Her dad didn't approve. and he stepped in and that was that. pretty much. >> Okay. Was there a reason why he didn't. want y'all talking to each other? >> He just didn't approve. honestly didn't. want her with me for whatever reason. I. I couldn't tell you. >> Couldn't tell me. >> Maybe it's cuz to him we were more. brother and sister. I don't know. >> How did y'all meet? I I don't think I've. asked that question. >> Through Bobby, her father when him and.

my stepmom started dating way back when. That's like initially like when I met. them and stuff. And we were all kids at. the time, >> right? And y'all lived together and. everything or no? Uh, I wouldn't say. live together, but yeah, there were. times where like I spent the night over. there and stuff like that. Yeah. But we. didn't like live together. >> Although they never lived together, AJ's. mother and Jade's father were at one. point in a relationship. That alone was. enough for Jade's father to disapprove.

when he found out about AJ and Jade's. inappropriate relationship. Having that. relationship severed, however, didn't. make AJ's feelings for Jade disappear. If anything, the way he speaks about her. suggests the opposite. According to AJ, years had passed since, and both had. apparently moved on from each other. Until before the hospital shooting, Jade's father passed away. Naturally, family and friends gathered around her. to support her through the loss, including AJ. That night, Jade and AJ.

spent the night talking to each other. Their conversation inevitably became the. catalyst for Leighton's death. And this. detective is about to learn exactly why. >> I I I thought they were broken up or. whatever, >> right? >> I didn't realize that they were actually. still together until, you know, I heard that he was up there. visiting with her and stuff like that. And I just kind of put two and two. together like and she told me herself. that he like choked her out and hit her.

and stuff like that in the [music] past. Just the other night, she was telling me. about how like he bit like he left a. bite mark on her. And. >> was this at the hospital or was this at. the house? >> This was at the house before she went. [music] to the hospital and stuff. I. guess you could say I was just trying to. make sense of it, you know, like why are. you still even talking to him? [music]. Like. >> you admit that he put his hands on you. >> What AJ tells detectives suggests that. when he left Jade's house, he genuinely. believed she and Leighton were no longer. together. That misunderstanding became a.

recipe for disaster the very next day. when AJ goes to visit her in the. hospital, unsure of her condition, only. to find the man she claimed had been. abusing her was already there. But. there's a serious issue with all of. this. Intentionally or not, AJ has been. laying the groundwork for a powerful. legal defense, framing himself as not. the aggressor, but as the protector. And. so far, the detective has unknowingly.

been playing into AJ's favor by not. challenging his claims at all. So, in a. desperate attempt, he asks one final. question. Moments later, AJ reveals a. single detail that completely destroys. everything he's been hoping for. >> I have another question, and it's. probably going to be the most direct. question that somebody's going to ask. you about this case. If you don't mind. me asking, why did you shoot? when he. came into the room, I just had this this. wave of anger that came over me and like.

I knew I couldn't just spaz the out on. him. Not while Jay was right there. I. was shaking. and I like sat down on the bed. I looked. over at him and he was looking at me and. he just had like this stink eye or like. a mean mug, you know? Felt like he knew. like I was like we had a thing at one. point or something. I don't know. But he. was mean mugging me. I was about to. leave and I swear to God I was about to. leave and I was telling myself in my. head, you need to go. I said like, I.

don't know what's true and what's not. true, but if I if I hear something about. you putting your hands on her again, it's not going to be good for you. And. he like started fidgeting about to get. up. I said, "If you get up, I'll kill. you." And I showed him that I had a gun. For whatever reason, he got up out of. that chair anyway. The moment he got to. his feet, I just. I let him have it. >> How many times did you shoot? Do you. remember? [sighs]. >> When I think about it, and there was. only one round left in my gun. I knew I.

fired at least 12 shots. I don't know. how many times I hit him. I just kept. going. And I don't know why. Like I. don't know why I kept going, but I kept. going. >> Okay. What did you What did you tell Jay. before you left? >> I don't think I told her anything. I. don't remember. I shot the out of. him. And I remember her like crying and. freaking out. And that's like when I. left. Okay. >> How screwed am I? Am I getting nailed to. the cross here? Because I swear I'm not. a bad guy. I just. >> Our job. Our job is not to nail you to.

the cross. >> How [snorts] long you've been in. relationship with Haley? >> Um. over 3 years. >> Did Haley ever know that you were going. to go see Jade or talk to Jade or. anything like that? >> I didn't tell her that I was going to go. visit her. All he had to do was stay in. thising chair. That's all he had to do. is stay in thating chair and I would. have walked out and that would. have been that. But he justing. you just had toinging get up. But we're. going to get out of here and I'll ask.

about the hesitation thing for you. >> Uh and another thing we're going to go. talk to to Haley after this. Do you want. us to tell her anything for you? >> Just just tell her I love her and I'm. sorry. Okay. >> We can do that for you. and tell her I said be strong. [laughter].

Detectives wrap up AJ's interview and. keep him in custody. By now, one thing. is unmistakably clear. AJ fired more. than 12 times at an unarmed man who. posed no danger to him, continuing to. shoot even after killing him. He then. proceeded to point the gun at Jade and. bragged that Leighton got exactly what. he deserved. Something AJ claims he. doesn't remember. After his. interrogation, AJ was placed in jail, awaiting trial. Not long after, another.

discovery was made. A forensic analysis. of AJ's phone reveals a message he sent. to his mother just minutes before the. shooting. I should kill this boy right. now. By this point, [music] the evidence. against AJ was overwhelming, and. prosecution was no longer a question of. if, but when. In the period leading up. to trial, investigators made one final. discovery explaining his perfect escape. Shortly after Leighton was killed, an. active shooter alert was broadcast over.

the hospital's PA system. On some. floors, staff and patients heard the. warning. On others, there was no. announcement at all. This technical. malfunction allowed AJ to simply walk. out and escape without ever raising. suspicion. During his trial on November. 21st, 2022, Raymond AJ Lovevet was found. guilty of capital murder and sentenced. to life in prison without the. possibility of parole along with an. additional 15 years for firearm.

enhancement. [music]. If you're looking for more. investigations like this one, you can. also watch Dr. Insanity on Tuby. Click. the link in the description to start. watching.