Dr. Insanity - 50 SWAT Officers Face Off Against The Arkansas Hospital Shooter

Episode Date: September 20, 2026

Ready to be seen? Check that appointment off your to-do list with Zocdoc ✅ : https://zocdoc.com/drinsanity #sponsored Dr Insanity is now streaming on Tubi! This episode was originally released there before making its way to YouTube. Watch more episodes on Tubi here: https://tubitv.com/series/300020923/d...https://tubitv.com/series/300021011/d... - When Leighton Delane Whitfield is shot and killed inside CHI St. Vincent North Hospital in Sherwood, Arkansas, multiple dozens of officers respond to the scene but the gunman slips away. Through police bodycam footage, witness interviews, and Detective Drew Edwards’ interrogation, this true crime documentary follows the hunt for Raymond “AJ” Lovett Jr. and uncovers how his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Jade, Leighton’s fiancée, led to a deadly confrontation. - This video was made for educational purposes only. The video is presented to provide genuine footage of police incidents to promote transparency in government while providing educational, informative and newsworthy content allowing viewers to examine and assess public safety material. This is a fact-checked documentary using authoritative sources. We are committed to accuracy in every case we cover. Because videos cannot be updated after publication, any corrections, clarifications, or new information will be documented on our official corrections page: https://corrections.drinsanity.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. SWAT SWAT 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 the shooting?

We don't know. The victim is 107? Yes. State police got the bird up in the air, so they're covering the rooftop. Hands, hands, hands! 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 two minutes ago on the second floor.

It's door's open. The hospital still on lockdown. Shooter has not been located. This way. This way. Just go that way. It's around 10 a.m. on September 28th at 6th. at St. 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. Sherwin-0-1 with the address of emergency. We're at St. Vincent's Hospital. I don't know what happened. We heard guns on, we went out the unit's elevator. Sure, with 911. What's location of the emergency? It's right outside of your room. It was right outside your room.

It's right outside your room. What are you in? 405. How many shots do you here? 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. 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?

I'm out six bucks people. Okay. 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 St. 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 shooter's favor. Where are they? I don't know.

I think that's a few a lot of stuff right. Is that where the stroke victim is? We need to prop this door. Right, right. A chair. The proper door. Blow, blow, blow. Blue, blue, blue, blue.

Blue, blue. This is a ER. Where's 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. Cross cover. Okay, okay, let me.

Go ahead. No one's over here? I'm on you, Sland me, FDI. Clear. Clear. Clear. Come in. Here.

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 to be. 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. We are leaving too many locked doors, guys. We got a freaking problem with locked doors. Here, what's up? We just came from the GIs back there. Go away to lift. Hey, who's got keys for these doors, people?

It's coming. You got three stacked, ready to go? You're going in with us? Yeah, I'm going. All right, four stacked, 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. Visit BetMDMDM casino and check out the newest exclusive.

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They waste no time and rush for the stairs to confront the suspect. Unaware, he has already claimed his first victim. Go to fourth. Ready? Yep. See you. Ready, green one? Go on.

Where they're ready? That's now. Okay. Yeah, squeeze that. What you got there? Did you call? Where is it at? He left?

He left and... Okay. Sit down. You're okay. We went to two south and he did. Yes. What does... We moved... Get a description.

There was another victim in there. Okay. Okay, I need to go with this officer here, go with him, and then he's going to get some information from you. 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 for me. He is about 5'8, he's a very skinny, white dude. He had blue jeans and I think a black shirt on, kind of sunken in.

What jeans and what kind of shirt? Black shirt, just a t-shirt. I believe his girlfriend, their ex-girlfriend, is in another room and his mom is calling her, and I told her not answer the phone, but she probably has a picture of him. We're wearing four or not? No, she, 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. Now what's your name? Jay Pye? And who was here to you? My fiance. The woman. Okay. The victim was. His name is Layton. What is it? Late in Withdow.

Do you know who the shooter was? Yeah, it was A.J. AJ L-LV-E-U-T-C. Do you have a phone with just touch? Let's see what he's talking to. Okay, well, screw, right? Where did I have that? Right here. He's 10-7.

She was the... She was the patient. He was the... After what feels like hours of uncertainty, officers finally know exactly who they're looking for. Raymond Allen Lovett Jr., also known as AJ, Jade's ex-boyd 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 Cindy and she was like, AJ wants to go out 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. I ask if we're going to get married or anything. Visit BetMGM Casino and check out the newest exclusive. The Price is Right Fortune Pick. BetMDM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. 19 plus to wager. Ontario only.

Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, His contact connects Ontario at 1-866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor, free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. You know, like, yeah, I'm planning on it. That's my future right there. He was like, how long have y'all been together? And we were like, it's going to be three years in November.

And right after that, shots were fired. How many shots? Do you think? Four? Two in his cheek and two in his neck, I believe. After that, he saw 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 because I was just trying to get someone in here.

And I was screaming. And then after he heard someone call it, he just walks up so calmly. Like, we didn'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 eight years.

Eight years? Why do you think AJ would have done that? He literally said to the nurses after he killed my fiance that he got a dessert. My fiance, that relationship wasn't ideal. But he completely changed himself to be a person. And I'm surprised. Does AJ think Layton was a bad person? Yeah, he didn't want to hear it.

He was like if he was already a bad person to be in with me, he's probably going to be one now. Layton was a good person. He didn't do that. I believe that. I really believe that. It sounds like Jade's relationship with Layton, her fiancé, 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 Layton.

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? Yes. By yourself? Here, I must set this door on. Okay, okay.

Police department. You're the only one in here? All right. We'll go our way down. The whole floor is being cleared, so... The fourth floor is? Yeah. So if I see, that's to you.

Yeah, they're like that. You guys okay? Okay. Tim already been through here? They already make contact with the hotel. 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. Hold on inside the hospital.

Hold up. Hold up. I'm not sure what that is within the hospital, but the key out of that. It's going to be second floor. Crew didn't urge the second floor. Second floor. We just went down on 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. All right, coming through, coming through. All right. Check that. Yep.

Still fine. A lot more. Like a block right. Okay. How much out? Oh, it's a ready to see what? Yeah. All right.

You check behind the door. Where you at? Can you show your hands first? You behind the equipment center? Yes. The short police. You're safe. You can step out.

Is he back there with you? Yeah. Come on back. Come on back. So you're back to back yourself? Okay. Come on. Nobody else is with you.

Okay, come on. Come on, hon. You're safe. We got you. All right, come on. You're coming with me, okay? All right, two doors. Visit BetMGM Casino and check out the newest exclusive.

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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. Police need to move faster before the inevitable happens. Police department? Hey.

Hey, where are they at? Like right in the front. So can you exit out of this door? Yeah. So what we're going to do? Hey, come on. I was going to be with me. Hey, everybody's going to exit out his door.

I'm going to be in front. He's going to 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 because he told me to say something as wrong. So I called him and I said, hey, what's wrong? My life is over. What do you mean your life is over? AJ, just told me it depends on what happened. What'd you do? I just kill somebody, Melissa.

I just put 13 shot to his head. No, no, no, no, no, AJ, you just, no. No, what do you mean? You heard them, but we get that? Wait for him. Saying Vincent and Cher with it, AJ? Did you leave? He said, yes, said, AJ, why?

Did you leave? He said, because the cops are going to be there. It's a situation where they shoot. And you're in a public area and you're shooting. They're going to shoot. Since I won't survive prison, I'm not going to do it. You're just going to shoot because, the way my life is over and I'd rather do it by our hands. And she likes to go to Pinnacle Mountain.

Speaking with officers is Melissa Lovett, A.J.'s sister. She arrived at the hospital just minutes earlier after A.J. told her he had murdered someone. According to Melissa, A.J. plans to end his life on a trail at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. That possibility, however, is quickly rolled out because AJ has one more surprise in store for police. One final 911 call. A gas station employee located 15 miles from the St. Vincent North Hospital reports that a man has disarmed himself inside the store. Officers rushed there immediately. After evading police for over two hours, slipping through their fingers and outsmarting them at every turn,

they're finally going to meet their killer. Watch out, look up. Let's do it. What's your name? What's your name? Raymond. What's your last name? It's not necessary, sir.

What's your last name? Love it, sir. Alley, communications. Notify everybody at the Baptist and Shale with that we do have Raymond Love it here. He's got Bullets magazine, let's get me. Stand up. Hey, I ain't got a... I got a key.

Okay, we're fine. front. 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 load this car here, okay? Okay. Do you have anything else in any pockets?

Yeah, bullet up. All right. We'll... We're up right here. I don't have any weapons. Okay. All right, we'll sit back here, buddy. After A.J. has put in the back of a patrol car, he's transported to the station and placed in an interrogation room.

Even though he surrendered voluntarily, this interview, is critical. 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. Hey, so I'm Detective Edwards at the show with this department.

So we pretty much have a lot of evidence for this case. Visit BetMGMGM Casino and check out the newest exclusive. The Price is Right Fortune Pick. BetMDM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly, 19 plus to wager. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns, about your gambling or someone close to you.

Peace contact connects Ontario at 1-866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor, free of charge. BetMGEM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. We're just trying to 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 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. Edwards' 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 talk 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. So I lost my mind. I mean, that's point blank. Yeah. After the incident, how did you leave the hospital? I got to the elevator, and that's about when it really started 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 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 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 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 came in? I don't know, sir, to be honest.

I don't know which entrance I decide, maybe. Clearly, AJ didn't have an intricate 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 a car at?

Well, like when I pulled in to the hospital, I pulled over to the left of that engine. So I guess if you were coming out of the hospital, I was like towards the back. 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 she's pregnant and stuff. But I was trying to look out for her too because I knew she needed the car. Right.

And so I left the car there and that's when I left. Somewhere along the way I said, you know, 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 that we've been like trying to figure out and we've been kind of like mixed answers on. Is your relationship with Jade if you could just touch into that? Like 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 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 you talking to each other? He just didn't approve, honestly.

Didn't want her with me. For whatever reason, I couldn't tell you. Couldn't tell me. Maybe it's because to him, we were more brother and sister. I don't know. How did y'all meet? I don't think I 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. We were all kids at the time. Right. Y'all lived together and everything or no? 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.

Where some see heroes and others see egos. Bloomberg sees the era of billionaire athletes. While others follow the noise, we follow the money. Learn more at Bloomberg.com. Together 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 case. catalyst for Layton's death and this detective is about to learn exactly why.

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. And she told me herself that he like choked her out and hit her and stuff like that in the past. Just the other night she was telling me about how like he'd bitten, like he let her. to bite mark on her and was this at the hospital was this at the house before she went 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 like you admit that he put his hands on you what a j tells detectives suggests that when he left jade's house he genuinely believed she and layton were no longer together that misunderstanding became a recipe for disaster the very next day when a j goes to 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, A.J. 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 A.J.'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 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? I felt like he knew like I was like we had a thing at one point or something. I don't know, but he was me mugging me. I was about to leave and I swear of 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 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 let him have it. How many times did you shoot, do you remember? 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 tell Jay before you left? I don't think I told her anything. I don't remember that. I shot the shit out of him, and I remember her, like, crying and freaking out, and that's, like, when I left.

How screwed am I? Am I getting nailed to the cross here? Did I swear I'm not a bad guy? I just snapped. Our job is not to nail you to the cross. How long you've been in the relationship with Haley? Um, over three years. Did Haley ever know that you were going to go see Jade or talk to Jade or anything about that?

I didn't tell her that I was going to go visit her. All he had to do was stay in this, fucking chair. That's all he had to do is stay in that fucking chair. And I would have fucking walked out, and that would have been that. But he just, he just had to fucking get up. But we're going to get out of here, and I'll ask you about the visitation thing for you. for you and they can... Another thing, we're going to go talk to Haley after this.

Do you want us to tell her anything for you? Just tell her I love her and I'm sorry. We can do it for you. And tell her, I said be strong. Detectives wrap up AJ's interview and keep him in custody. By now, one thing is unmistakably clear. A.J. fired more than 12 times at an on-office. armed 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 Layton 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, 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 Layton 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 of the hospital allowed AJ to simply walk out and escape without ever raising suspicion. During his trial on November 21st, 2022, Raymond A.J. Lovett 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. If you're looking for more investigations like this one,

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