Memphis gunman held after livestreamed shootings kill 4
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A gunman who livestreamed himself driving around Memphis shooting at people, killing four and wounding three others in seemingly random attacks, was arrested after crashing a stolen car, police said Thursday.
The hourslong rampage shut down much of the city as police warned people to shelter in place. Authorities locked down a baseball stadium and university campuses and suspended bus service as frightened residents wondered where the assailant might strike next.
Police Director Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said seven shootings and at least two carjackings were reported before Ezekiel Kelly was arrested without incident Wednesday evening. Authorities offered no immediate word on motive.
“This has been a horrific week for the city of Memphis,” Davis said, noting that the shooting spree came less than a week after the brutal killing of a jogger who was abducted during her early morning run.
Kelly, 19, was released early from a prison sentence for aggravated assault, court records show. The release seemed to raise a sore point between the mayor and the county’s top prosecutor at a news conference.
“This is no way for us to live, and it is not acceptable,” said Mayor Jim Strickland, who later pounded the podium as he demanded accountability. “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 first killing happened just before 1 a.m. Wednesday. A police affidavit said at least three witnesses saw Kelly fatally shoot Dewayne Tunstall in the head as he
was visiting with friends at a home. According to the affidavit, Kelly pulled Tunstall to the side and during their conversation drew a handgun and fired several shots.
The second shooting came at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when officers found a male victim dead from multiple gunshot wounds inside a vehicle, according to police. A woman who had been shot in the leg was discovered minutes later.
More shootings were reported over the next 4 ½ hours. During that time, police received a tip at about 6 p.m. that the suspect was livestreaming himself and threatening to hurt people, Davis said.
In one clip from the video, the suspect casually speaks to the camera before opening the door to an AutoZone store and shooting someone inside with what appeared to be a pistol. That man was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Three more shootings and two carjackings followed after police sent an alert warning people to be on the lookout for the suspect.
Police said he killed a woman as he took her SUV, then shot and wounded a man nearby. The final victim, another woman, was found dead about an hour
later, just before 9 p.m.
Kelly drove into neighboring Southaven, Mississippi, where he committed another carjacking at gunpoint but left the driver uninjured, police said. Officers quickly spotted the stolen Dodge Challenger on Interstate 55.
Kelly was arrested after he crashed during a highspeed chase, Davis said. Two guns were found in the vehicle.
Facebook parent company Meta said Thursday that it removed the suspect’s livestream before Memphis police sent their initial alert, but the company declined to say for how long the live video was streaming.
In February 2020, Kelly, then 17, was charged as an adult with attempted first-degree murder and other crimes in two shootings committed a few hours apart. Both victims survived but didn’t cooperate with prosecutors, according to court records, and Kelly pleaded guilty to reduced charges of aggravated assault in April 2021.
Kelly was sentenced to three years in prison, but was released in March after serving just over two years behind bars, including credit he received for time he was jailed prior to his plea.