Last Updated on September 8, 2022
19-year-old Ezekiel Kelly has been arrested and charged after committing a string of random shootings and carjackings that left four dead and three injured in Memphis, Tennessee. Kelly was apprehended last night after streaming multiple murders via Facebook Live.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said Kelly had been released from jail on March 16 after serving 11 months of a three-year sentence for an aggravated assault plea. He is now facing charges of first-degree murder in connection with Wednesday’s rampage.
The first killing happened shortly after midnight Wednesday morning, Police Chief CJ Davis said. Memphis Police issued an alert at 6:56 p.m. warning people that Kelly was responsible for multiple active shootings.
In a Facebook Live video, Kelly can be seen walking into an AutoZone and firing shots at customers. The video was later removed by the platform.
Police initially said Kelly was occupying a light blue Infiniti with a red dealer tag, but at some point he carjacked a woman in a Gray Toyota SUV. The woman was shot and killed during the crime, witnesses reported.
Later, police said Kelly stole a Dodge Challenger in Southaven, Mississippi before he was involved in a standoff in the area of Ivan Road and Hodge Road in Memphis. He refused to get out of the vehicle and police surrounded the vehicle, WREG reported.
Memphis Police ultimately confirmed Kelly was taken into custody with the assistance of Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies around 9:20 p.m.
Prior to Wednesday’s killing spree, Kelly had already been arrested for a number of violent crimes. According to court documents, Kelly, who was 17 at the time, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent felony, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.
He was charged as an adult for those crimes, though additional details have yet to be revealed.
Kelly was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison, but was released after serving just 11 months.
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