MEMPHIS, TN (WREG) – A 19-year-old man was arrested Wednesday night after multiple shootings and carjackings across Memphis left four dead and three injured in a violent rampage that lasted for hours, officials said.
The suspect has been identified as Ezekiel Kelly. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said Kelly was released from jail on March 16 after serving 11 months of a three-year sentence for an aggravated assault plea.
The first murder took place just after midnight. Police Chief CJ Davis said. At least one shooting was broadcast on Facebook Live by the suspect. Kelly was arrested at 9:20 a.m. after a pursuit from Mississippi to Memphis.
Memphis police issued an alert at 6:56 p.m. warning people that Kelly was responsible for several active shootings. Police said they received information that he was logging his actions on Facebook. In a Facebook Live video seen by a WREG staff member, Kelly was seen getting out of a car, entering the AutoZone on Jackson Avenue and shooting. The video was later removed from the platform.
DISCLAIMER: Graphic image in one of the photos below.
Police initially said Kelly was occupying a light blue Infiniti with a red dealer tag and a shattered rear window, but later said Kelly hijacked a woman on Poplar and took off in a gray Toyota SUV.
A WREG staff member saw a person lying unresponsive on Poplar Avenue and Evergreen Street in Midtown. Law enforcement sources say this is where Kelly hijacked a woman. Witnesses report that he shot her during the crime.
Police later said Kelly stole a Dodge Challenger in Southaven, Mississippi, before becoming involved in a standoff in the Ivan Road and Hodge Road area of Memphis. He refused to get out of the vehicle and the police surrounded the vehicle. The SWAT team was also called in to help.
Memphis police confirmed Kelly was arrested with the help of Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies around 9:20 p.m.
Police then detailed the timeline of the shootings:
- 12:56 a.m., a 24-year-old man is killed on Lyndale in the Highland Heights neighborhood. A suspect who called himself Zeek Huncho on social media has been developed.
- 4:38 p.m., a man was found shot dead in a vehicle at a gas station on South Parkway E. Surveillance video revealed that a man in a gray sedan pulled up next to the victim’s car and opened fire.
- 4:40 p.m., one wife was injured in a second shooting on Norris Road near I-240. The suspect fled in a dark sedan.
- 5:59 p.m. Kelly walked into an AutoZone store in the 4000 block of Jackson Avenue and shot a man while live streaming on Facebook. The man was in critical condition, police said.
- 6:56 p.m., Memphis police issued an alert on the suspect after receiving a call that Kelly was making threats on Facebook.
- 7:23 p.m., a woman is killed in a shooting in Poplar and Evergreen. Police say Kelly took her gray SUV and drove away.
- 7:24 a.m. a man shot Poplar and Evergreen
- 8:55 p.m., a woman shot dead on Raines Road
- 8:56 p.m., Southaven Police responded to a carjacking at Stateline Road and Highway 51. Kelly took the man’s gray Dodge Challenger and left the SUV behind.
- 8:58 p.m., Memphis police officers spotted the Dodge Challenger heading north on Interstate 55, and a high-speed chase began. The chase ended at Hodge Road and Ivan in southwest Memphis, where Kelly was arrested without incident.[ursuitendedatHodgeRoadandIvaninsouthwestMemphiswhereKellywastakenintocustodywithoutincident[ursuitendedatHodgeRoadandIvaninsouthwestMemphiswhereKellywastakenintocustodywithoutincident
Davis said numerous felony charges were pending against Kelly.
During the event, Rhodes College in Midtown sheltered in place. The University of Memphis also sent out an alert that police responded to shots fired in the Patterson and Southern area. All lockdowns across the city were lifted after the arrest.
Local and state officials responded to Wednesday night’s events in the following statements:
Tennessee Senator London Lamar:
“I am traumatized like everyone else. Let’s take the day off tomorrow and start healing! This week has been overwhelming! I also pray for the families of the victims impacted by this tragedy! I hope you can find comfort and continue to believe that Memphis deserves your love.
We will never forget today but we can heal together! I love Memphis! I love our people! Pray for us!”
Toni Williams, Acting Superintendent of the MSCS:
“As a lifelong Memphian, I love your city, but I also recognize the heightened concerns that tonight’s events may have. Therefore, we will be having increased outreach in our schools tomorrow to give all families a extra sense of security.
Former Shelby County Commissioner Mark Billingsley:
“Pray for Memphis and our surrounding community. We are all devastated by the loss of life from crippling crimes and by our own safety and well-being. »
Tennessee State Senator Raumesh Akbari:
“Memphis!!!! What’s going on in my city!? These sick individuals do not represent us and will not ruin our city. They do not define us!! Please stay home and be safe if you you’re out until this individual is arrested. Go home now.”
Southaven Mayor Darren Musslewhite:
“We remain strong in our support for Memphis and in the fight against the ongoing heinous behavior. It’s a different kind of evil and it will be fought with all possible resources in Southaven.
Comments are closed.