Ezekiel Kelly, 19, who was charged as an adult with attempted first-degree murder in 2020, was taken into custody around 9 p.m. in the Memphis neighborhood of Whitehaven, police spokeswoman Karen Rudolph said. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said charges are 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 AM. on Wednesday and continued until approximately 8:30 p.m There were at least eight crime scenes: the seven shootings and the robbery of a Dodge Challenger in Southaven, Mississippi, Davis said. Kelly was arrested when he crashed during a high-speed carjacking chase in Southaven, which is south of Memphis. That was about two hours after police sent out an alert saying a man driving a blue Infiniti was responsible for multiple shootings in the city. Police said he later killed a woman in Memphis and took the gray Toyota SUV he left behind when the car rear-ended a Dodge Challenger in Southaven. Police said they recorded his actions on Facebook. As the gunman terrorized Memphis, public buses were suspended and a downtown stadium where a minor league baseball game was in progress was placed on lockdown. Friends and family frantically called and texted each other to check on each other’s safety. TV stations cut back to regular coverage to keep viewers updated. Police received “a lot of tips” from the public during the ordeal, Davis said. The University of Memphis sent a message to students saying there had been a shooting near campus. Rhodes College, which is about 4 miles from the university, advised students on and off campus to evacuate 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 outside, stay indoors 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 injured. It was too early in the investigation to discuss how the suspect got the gun or guns used in the shooting, said Ali Roberts, assistant special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Memphis. Memphis has been rocked by several high-profile murders in recent weeks, including the shooting of a pastor during a carjacking on her street, the shooting of an activist during a dispute over money and the killing of a woman who was kidnapped while she was out jogging. before dawn. “I understand it’s so much violence and hurt to experience in such a short amount of time,” Memphis City Councilman Chase Carlisle said on Twitter. “We are 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 in the commission of 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 his conviction, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.
