Suspect in string of shootings recorded on Facebook taken into custody
Police in Memphis, Tennessee, arrested 19-year-old Ezekiel Kelley who is allegedly connected to a string of shootings recorded on Facebook in the city. (Courtesy: Citizen App)
Police in Memphis, Tennessee, arrested a 19-year-old repeat offender suspected of shooting and killing four people and injuring at least three others in a rampage on Wednesday afternoon.
The suspect, Ezekiel Kelly, is also accused of two armed carjackings that happened as he attempted to flee from police. Authorities said the rampage was spread across at least eight different crime scenes.
The string of shootings were reportedly livestreamed on Facebook in the city Wednesday. The suspect was taken into custody following a major manhunt later that evening.
Police confirmed to Fox News Digital that Kelly was arrested after crashing a stolen car near the area of Ivan Road and Hodge Road.
The booking photo of Ezekiel Kelly, 19, who is accused of going on a shooting rampage and killing four people in Memphis on Wednesday. (Memphis Police Department)
Police said multiple felony charges are pending against Kelly, who has a previous criminal history. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland revealed during a press conference that Kelly was charged with attempted first-degree murder but pled guilty to a downgraded aggravated assault charge in April 2021.
Kelly was sentenced to three years in prison, but was released in March 2022 after serving just 11 months of his sentence.
The shooting rampage comes less than six months after Kelly was allowed back on the streets of Memphis.
(Fox News)
Mayor Strickland denounced Kelly's release on Wednesday night.
"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," the mayor added.
ELIZA FLETCHER AND MEMPHIS TARGET ABDUCTIONS HIGHLIGHT VIOLENT CRIME IN CITY
The Memphis Police Department released an image of 19-year-old Ezekiel Kelly, who it said is linked to a series of shootings in the city. (Memphis Police Department)
"These evil actions show why truth in sentencing is a must, and we should do all we can to make our city safe," Strickland asserted. "We must unite around this principle and stand up to the challenge of violent crime in our city."
As the shooting rampage unfolded, the Memphis Police Department released an image of Kelly, and said he was driving with a red dealer tag and busted rear window. The vehicle was described as a Nissan or Infiniti.
Police say Kelly's first suspected homicide happened early Wednesday morning, where a man was found dead at a shooting scene after midnight.
The suspect's rampage appears to have begun at around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, when a man was found dead in his car of gunshot wounds at a BP gas station. A woman was critically injured in a separate shooting incident minutes later.
At around 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday night, Kelly allegedly filmed himself walking into an AutoZone and shooting a man in the store. The injured victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
Memphis police had urged residents in that area to shelter in place after 7:20 p.m. Shortly before 9:00 p.m., a female victim with gunshot wounds was found dead by officers. Minutes later, officers responded to a carjacking involving an uninjured victim.
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After finding the suspect and pursuing a high-speed chase, officers took Kelley into custody without incident. The circumstances of the other shootings and victims were not confirmed by police on Wednesday night.
The shooting comes as the city was rocked by the abduction and murder of mother and teacher Eliza Fletcher as she was jogging Friday morning.
The suspect, Cleotha Henderson, is charged with first-degree murder, especially aggravated assault and tampering with/fabricating evidence.
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