The fiancee of the man shot to death in a Sherwood hospital on Wednesday told police that the gunman "asked how long they had been together" before opening fire, according to an arrest report from Sherwood police.
Raymond Lovett, 24, of Little Rock was arraigned Thursday morning in Sherwood district court on capital murder and aggravated assault charges. He is charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Leighton Whitfield, 21, of North Little Rock.
Judge Milas Hale set Lovett's bail at $500,000.
According to a Sherwood Police Department arrest report, Jade Pye was a patient on the fourth floor of CHI St. Vincent Hospital North in Sherwood on Wednesday. She told police that Whitfield was visiting her when Lovett, who she referred to as "Ajay" arrived in the room.
Pye told police that Lovett asked her and Whitfield how long they had been together and then he shot Whitfield. Lovett then pointed the gun at Pye, she said, until she pressed the emergency button on the hospital bed. He then left the room, the report states.
Sherwood Police Chief Jeff Hagar said in a Wednesday afternoon news conference that Lovett and Whitfield knew each other, and the shooting appeared to be an isolated event.
It was not clear from the report how Pye knew Lovett.
Police responded to the report of shots fired at CHI St. Vincent just before 10 a.m. Wednesday, and then placed the hospital on lockdown, according to the Sherwood department.
Officers said they found Whitfield dead from at least one gunshot wound.
When the shots were fired, many of the hospital staff evacuated in line with their active shooter training, said Chad Aduddell, CEO of CHI St. Vincent, but two operations on the second floor continued through the incident because the surgeons deemed the procedures too important to interrupt.
"I can't express in words how brave they were," Aduddell said of the hospital staff.
Little Rock police were alerted that a "potential suspect" in the shooting was at Zimmerman's Exxon, 5223 S. University Ave., around 11 a.m. Wednesday. The gas station is located about 14 miles south of CHI St. Vincent in Sherwood.
Appearing in court via video, Lovett pleaded innocent to the two charges Thursday morning.
Hale ordered Lovett to have no contact with Pye. The order is set to remain in effect for one year unless the court modifies it. Lovett's next court date is set for Nov. 8.
Information for this report was provided by Grant Lancaster of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.