Suspect in custody after 4 people were killed, 3 were injured
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Grief and anger enveloped the city Thursday as authorities searched for a motive for a gunman to last all day, live streaming filming 4 people died and 3 were injured.
The carnage began early Wednesday. During the day, people in some areas were told to shelter in place, public bus services were suspended and many restaurants and other public places closed as the manhunt intensified. The hunt for attackers increases.
Ezekiel Dejuan Kelly, 19, was arrested Wednesday night following a carjacking in the Mississippi vicinity.
Mayor of Memphis, Jim Strickland, expressed outrage that Kelly was criminally charged with attempted first-degree murder two years ago but pleaded guilty in April 2021 to a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault. than. He was sentenced to three years in prison but served just over two years, including a credit for the time he spent in jail before pleading guilty, and was released in March.
If Kelly had served his full sentence, he would have remained in prison “and four of our citizens would still be alive,” said Strickland, who called the criminal justice system “a revolving door.” round ” and expressed condolences to the victims and their families.
Strickland said in a statement: “I am angry on their behalf and angry that our citizens have to shelter in place for their own safety until the suspect is arrested. “This is not the way for us to live and it is unacceptable.”
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Memphis has been rocked by a number of incidents in recent weeks, including the killing of a pastor in a carjacking, the killing of an activist in a dispute over money and fame. kidnap and murder by Eliza Fletcher, a 34-year-old teacher and mother of two.
Mary Dudley, who watched police work behind crime scene video at one of Wednesday’s shooting sites, said she was not surprised that this happened in Memphis.
“Living in Memphis is like living in every episode of Breaking Bad,” Dudley said.
Facebook Live post raises suspicions from authorities
Police received advice that Kelly had taken to Facebook Live threatening “to cause harm to citizens,” Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said. Police issued a warning a short time later, advising people to stay indoors while searching for the suspect.
Reports suggest the gunman posted videos of his attacks on Facebook. News of the shooting is said to have spread on social media, where users retweeted screen recordings of the shooting suspect.
The Facebook videos Kelly posted were removed from the platform that night. Kelly’s Instagram account was also taken down Wednesday night.
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Many witnesses witnessed the first shooting
A police affidavit said the first attack took place just before 1 a.m. Wednesday. Three people said they saw Kelly fatally shoot Dewayne Tunstall in the head while Tunstall was visiting friends at a home in Memphis. According to the affidavit, Kelly pulled Tunstall aside and, during their conversation, pulled out a shotgun and fired multiple shots.
Davis said officers responded to three more crime scenes before receiving advice that the suspect was live-streaming himself and threatening to hurt people.
Carjacking leads to arrest
At 8:53 p.m. Wednesday, police in Southaven, Mississippi, tweeted that officers responded to a vehicle theft at a local gas station. Police hit the area, a few miles south of Memphis, and Kelly was arrested when he crashed his car, ending a high-speed chase.
Police did not disclose a motive for the attacks. The identities of the victims were not immediately released, but Trade protest Memphis reported two of them as Tunstall, 24, and Allison Parker, a nurse in West Memphis, Arkansas.
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Stadium locked, transit system suspended
Police said two cars were stolen during the assault. A downtown stadium where minor league baseball games are taking place has been locked down. Television stations have cut off regular reporting to update information for viewers. Friends and relatives have called and texted to check each other’s safety. The Memphis Area Transportation Authority (MATA) has suspended bus and trolley services.
“MATA leaders are acting with extreme caution and with the safety of drivers and riders in mind,” the public transit service said in a news release at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
It wasn’t until the midnight press conference that authorities painted a more complete picture of Kelly’s suspected actions, including several violent crimes spanning miles in residential Memphis and to Mississippi.
“This has been a terrifying week for the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department,” Davis said.
Bacon reports from Arlington, Va. Contributors: Samuel Hardiman, Laura Testino, Astrid Kayembe, Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal; Related press