MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Police in Memphis, Tenn., said a man who drove through the city shooting at people, killing four, during an hours-long rampage that forced frightened people to take shelter Wednesday, has been arrested.
Ezekiel Kelly, 19, who was charged as an adult with attempted first-degree murder in 2020, was arrested around 9 p.m. in the Memphis neighborhood of Whitehaven, police spokeswoman Karen Rudolph said. Memphis Police Director Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said charges were pending during a news conference early Thursday.
Four people were killed and three others were wounded in seven shootings in Memphis, Davis said. The rampage began at 12:56 a.m. Wednesday and continued until about 8:30 p.m.
There were at least eight crime scenes: the seven shootings and the carjacking of a Dodge Challenger in Southaven, Mississippi, Davis said. Kelly was arrested when he crashed during a high-speed chase after the carjacking in Southaven, which is south of Memphis.
That was about two hours after police sent out an alert saying a man driving a light blue Infiniti was responsible for multiple shootings in the city. Police said he later killed a Memphis woman and took her gray Toyota SUV, which he left behind when he robbed the Dodge Challenger in Southaven. Police said he recorded his actions on Facebook.
As the gunman terrorized Memphis, public bus service was suspended and a downtown stadium hosting a minor league baseball game was placed on lockdown. Friends and relatives frantically called and texted each other to check on each other’s safety. TV stations interrupted regular coverage to keep viewers updated.
Police have received “a lot of tips” from the public during the ordeal, Davis said.
The University of Memphis sent a message to students saying a shooting had been reported near campus. Rhodes College, which is about 4 miles from the university, advised students on and off campus to shelter in place.
The area where Kelly was arrested was about 11 miles from the University of Memphis and about 12 miles from Rhodes College.
“If you don’t need to be out, stay inside until this is resolved,” Memphis police said on Twitter, before the arrest.
Police have not discussed a motive or released the identities of those killed or wounded. It was too early in the investigation to discuss how the suspect obtained the weapon or weapons used in the shooting, said Ali Roberts, acting assistant special agent in charge of the Memphis Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Memphis has been rocked by several high-profile murders in recent weeks, including the shooting of a pastor during a carjacking on the street, the killing of an activist during an argument over money and the killing of a woman who was kidnapped while she was on the street. was on a pre-dawn run.
“I understand it feels like so much violence and evil to experience in such a short amount of time,” Memphis City Council member Chase Carlisle said on Twitter. “We are so much more than that.”
In February 2020, Kelly, then 17, was charged as an adult with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, use of a firearm to commit a dangerous felony and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. court records showed. The circumstances of the case were not immediately known.
Records show he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced in April 2021 to three years. Kelly was released from prison in March, 11 months after being sentenced, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.