The shooting began before 1 a.m. Wednesday and continued late into the night, sparking a lockdown for part of the city as police searched for the gunman. “Our citizens in Memphis and Shelby County were going about their business … getting off work, picking up kids from daycare, just going about their normal lives, when all of a sudden it collapsed,” said Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Boehner. . . “Many families will never, ever get over the horrific violence that we saw, that one person inflicted on the city tonight.” The first shooting was reported around 12:56 a.m. in the 3100 block of Lyndale Avenue. Responding officers found a male victim in a driveway and he was pronounced dead at the scene, Davis said. “The homicide suspect was known as Zeek Huncho. He was later identified as Ezekiel Kelly,” Davis said at the press conference. At 4:38 p.m., officers responded to another shooting in the 900 block of South Parkway East, where they found a man in his vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Surveillance video from a nearby business captured the gunman pulling up next to the victim in a gray sedan and firing multiple shots before driving away, Davis said. Minutes later, at 4:40 p.m., officers responded to a shooting at Norris Road and I-240 and found a woman with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was taken to a hospital in non-critical condition. The suspect fled in a dark-colored sedan, Davis said. More than an hour later, at 5:59 p.m., officers responded to a shooting at a store in the 4000 block of Jackson Avenue. “Ezekiel Kelly was on Facebook Live when he opened fire inside the store,” Davis said. Responding officers found a man with a gunshot wound. He was taken to hospital in critical condition. A short time later, at 6:12 p.m., police received a call from a concerned citizen that someone named “Zeek Huncho” was live on Facebook saying he was “threatening to harm citizens,” Davis said. The Memphis Police Department then launched a citywide search for an “armed and dangerous” suspect, urging some residents to evacuate. Another shooting occurred at 7:23 pm in the area of Poplar Avenue and North Evergreen, where a woman was shot and killed. The gunman fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle, a gray SUV, Davis said. A minute later, officers responded to another shooting on Poplar Avenue and found a man who had been shot. He was taken to a hospital in non-critical condition, Davis said. Then at 8:55 p.m., officers responded to the 800 block of West Raines Road where a woman with gunshot wounds was pronounced dead, according to Davis. A short time later, at 8:56 p.m., the Southaven, Mississippi Police Department responded to the area of Stateline Road and Highway 51 in reference to a carjacking, Davis said. Police said Kelly attacked a victim at gunpoint, taking a gray Dodge Challenger, leaving the gray SUV behind. The victim was not injured. Southhaven is just across the state line from Memphis. Two minutes later at 8:58 p.m., Memphis police spotted the Challenger on I-55 and a high-speed chase ensued. The pursuit came to an end and Kelly was taken into custody without incident. The chief said two guns were visible in the vehicle when Kelly was arrested. “Numerous felony charges are pending,” he added.
Mayor says violence ‘unacceptable’
The series of shootings brought life to a standstill in the city on Wednesday as police issued alerts on the search for the suspect. The Memphis Area Transit Authority suspended bus and trolley service, citing the risk of an active shooter. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland expressed his anger at the spate of violence at a press conference Thursday morning as he offered his condolences to the families of the victims. “I’m angry for them and I’m angry for our citizens who had to flee for their own safety until this suspect is apprehended. This is no way to live and it’s not acceptable.” he said. “The people of our city faced the kind of violence that no one should have to face.” Strickland said Kelly was previously charged with criminally attempted first-degree murder, but pleaded guilty in April 2021 to a lesser charge of aggravated assault. He was sentenced to three years in prison but served only 11 months and was released in March, the mayor said. “If Mr. Kelly had served his three-year sentence, he would still be in prison today and four of our fellow citizens would still be alive,” Strickland said. During the press conference, Davis thanked those who notified police on the Facebook live stream. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, said it was working closely with law enforcement on the case. The social media giant said it was in contact with the department shortly after the initial public notification by police and has since removed video content that may be related to the incident. CNN’s Steven Almasy and Amanda Jackson contributed to this report.
