Gunman, 19, Charged With Multiple Murders In Deadly Memphis Shooting Spree
Memphis authorities charged a man with first-degree murder early Thursday (Sept. 8) for killing four people in a shooting rampage that was broadcast via Facebook Live, NBC News reports.
Police arrested the suspect, identified as Ezekiel Dejuan Kelly, around 9 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 7) after a manhunt that paralyzed the city. A motive for the shooting spree, which injured at least three people who survived Kelly’s shooting, was unclear.
Memphis police responded to the first shooting around 1 a.m. Wednesday when a man was found fatally shot in a driveway. The shootings continued until 4:30 p.m.
The police department received a phone call from a “concerned citizen” about 6 p.m. on Wednesday that Kelly was on Facebook Live threatening to “cause harm to citizens.” Memphis police chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis said at a press conference after the arrest, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
During the search, authorities advised the public to stay indoors while they investigated the threat. The Memphis Area Transit Authority suspended bus and trolley services during the police search for the suspect.
In the ongoing investigation, Davis said there are at least eight crime scenes. “There could potentially be other locations, there could potentially be other damage in other places,” the chief said.
Authorities did not immediately release the identities of the victims, and it wasn’t clear whether the suspect knew them.
According to the Commercial Appeal, Kelly has a criminal record. Police arrested him in 2020 for attempted first-degree murder and reckless endangerment. He was released in March before completing a three-year prison sentence.
“If Mr. Kelly served his full three-year sentence, he would still be in prison today, and four of our fellow citizens would still be alive,” Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland told reporters.
