Ezekiel Dejuan Kelly, 19, was arrested without incident in the Memphis neighborhood of Whitehaven around 9 p.m. local time following a high-speed chase, according to Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis. The killing spree began early Wednesday at 12:56 am. and resumed at approximately 8:30 p.m. In all, at least four people were killed and three others were wounded in seven shootings across the city, Davis said. Memphis police officers work one of multiple crime scenes they believe was committed by a man who drove around and shot in Memphis, Tennessee, US, September 7, 2022. Christine Tannous/USA Today Netw/via Reuters After the shootings, the suspect attacked a driver at gunpoint in Southaven, Mississippi, just south of Memphis, speeding past the victim’s Dodge Challenger, Davis said, adding that the carjacking victim was not injured. The suspect left behind an SUV he stole from a woman he allegedly fatally shot earlier that night, according to the police chief. “Homicide and other investigative units are actively working these crime scenes now and there are multiple felony charges pending,” Davis told reporters at a news conference early Thursday. “It’s at least eight [crime scenes]”, he added. “We are still in the midst of the investigation. Other locations may exist. There may be other damages in other places.” Court records obtained by Memphis ABC affiliate WATN show an arrest warrant for first-degree murder was issued for Kelly on Wednesday, before the shooting spree occurred. The police chief said Kelly recorded at least some of his actions on Facebook Live, including opening fire inside a Jackson Avenue store shortly before 6 p.m. A spokesperson for Facebook’s parent company, Meta, told ABC News that the content was identified and removed. prior to the Memphis Police Department’s initial public notification of the incident. Meta was also “in direct contact with the Memphis Police Department shortly after the initial public notification,” the spokesman said. According to Davis, police had launched a citywide search for the suspect and advised citizens to stay in place. “We extend our sincere condolences to all the victims affected in this series of violent actions today,” the police chief said. “We want to express our sincere appreciation to our citizens who provided many tips throughout this ordeal.” As the gunman terrorized the city, the Memphis Area Transit Authority temporarily suspended trolley and bus service out of “an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of its riders and riders”. Memphis police say 19-year-old Ezekiel Dujuan Kelly allegedly killed four people and wounded three others during an hour-long shooting rampage in Memphis on September 7, 2022. Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Police have not discussed a possible motive or released the identities of the victims. It was also unclear how the suspect obtained the weapons. The rampage was the latest in a string of violence that has hit Memphis in recent days and weeks, including the killing last Friday of a woman who was kidnapped while out on a pre-dawn jog. “This has been a horrible week for the city of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department,” Davis told reporters. Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner added, “I want to assure the public that we will all work together to try to curb this senseless violence here in Memphis and Shelby County.” 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, according to court records. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced in April 2021 to three years behind bars. He was released 11 months later in March, according to Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. “I want to first express my deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families who are suffering from this senseless killing spree,” Strickland told reporters. “I’m angry for them. And I’m angry for our citizens who had to flee for their own safety until this suspect was apprehended. This is no way to live and it’s not acceptable.” ABC News’ Jianna Cousin and Will Gretsky contributed to this report.
