On September 7, 2022, three people were killed and three others were injured after a gunman went on a shooting spree in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The attack was livestreamed on Facebook Live.[1]
| 2022 Memphis shootings | |
|---|---|
| Location | Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
| Date | September 7, 2022 c. 12:56 a.m. – 8:58 p.m. (CDT) |
Attack type | Spree shooting, triple-murder |
| Weapons | Glock pistol (modified) |
| Deaths | 3 |
| Injured | 3 |
| Accused | Ezekiel Kelly |
Shootings
The shootings began at around 12:56 a.m., when a man was found fatally shot on Lyndale Avenue.[1] At 4:38 p.m., another man was found fatally shot on South Parkway East. Video surveillance showed that the gunman had fired multiple shots. Two minutes later, a woman with multiple gunshots to the leg was found at the intersection of Norris Road and Interstate 240. The gunman fled in a sedan eastbound on Norris Road.[2]
At 5:59 p.m., a man was found in critical condition outside of an AutoZone on Jackson Avenue with multiple bullets wounds to the chest. At around the same time, the suspect, 19-year-old Ezekiel Kelly, posted a livestream on Facebook Live in which he reportedly entered the AutoZone, shot a man, and exited.[2]
At 6:12 p.m., police received a tip that Kelly was on Facebook Live claiming that he would harm civilians. They subsequently launched a manhunt for Kelly and ordered a shelter-in-place. At 7:23 p.m., the gunman shot a woman on Poplar Avenue and took her SUV. A minute later, a man was found shot and injured further down the same street.
At 8:56 p.m., the gunman carjacked a woman driving a Dodge Challenger on Highway 51. Two minutes later, police located the vehicle northbound on Interstate 55 and arrested Kelly.[2]
Police later stated that Corteria Wright, a 17-year-old girl initially believed to have been killed in the shootings was killed by another suspect.[3]
Accused and legal proceedings
Ezekiel Kelly, a 19-year-old male (born October 14, 2002), was previously convicted of a felony.[4] Shortly before he was arrested, Kelly suffered injuries after allegedly crashing a stolen vehicle in Whitehaven.[1] He has been charged with first degree murder.[5] Additional charges were also filed including two additional counts of first-degree murder, along with terrorism and carjacking.[6]
On March 27, 2023, prosecutors said they would pursue the death penalty if Kelly is convicted.[7]