In Memphis (USA), a mass shooter who incited guns and robberies was arrested last night, four people were killed and three others injured. The suspect broadcast his attack live on Facebook, broadcasting acts of violence for hours.
The culprit was identified as 19-year-old Ezekiel Kelly. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said the teenager was released on March 16 after serving 11 months of his three-year sentence for assault.
Ezekiel was due to start action at around 1pm last night. According to US broadcaster Fox News, if he is wanted on other serious charges and is found guilty, his shooting will add even more weight to the criminal’s sentence.
“This has been a terrible week for the city of Memphis,” City Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said at a news conference.
At 7:00 pm before the attacks, police warned the public to stay off social media because Ezekiel was “armed and dangerous”. Davis said police said the suspect may have been involved in at least eight different shootings.
According to police, Ezekiel allegedly shot and killed a 24-year-old man in his garage at around 00:56. After the first murder, he left the scene and launched a series of random attacks targeting people and forcing frightened villagers to flee.
The chief of police said that at 4:38 p.m. the criminal shot several times a man sitting in his car. The injured person died at the scene. Ezekiel later reportedly fired his gun at a woman near the highway. He was shot in the leg and transferred to a hospital in stable condition.
Police said Ezekiel began another filming before 6 p.m. while live-streaming the attack at the AutoZone store, a famous establishment in the city.
The video transmission was made by Facebook and later shared on other social networks. Footage shows Ezekiel Kelly pulling his gun and shooting twice at a man inside the store before getting out of a car and taking a few steps towards the store. The man’s condition was severe and he was taken to the hospital.
At one point in the recording, the shooter says to the camera, “It’s not a lie, this shit is real.”
A user briefed the police about the livestream, and soon after, officers issued a public warning about Ezekiel Kelly, detailing the vehicle he was driving. He then allegedly stole a gray Toyota SUV and shot the owner of the car. The murder was committed around 19:23, the woman could not stand her wounds and died before she could be saved.
conclusion
Shortly after, officers found two more victims, a man hospitalized with gunshot wounds and a woman already dead.
Ezekiel attempted to cross the border into the state of Mississippi to evade the Memphis (Tenessee) authorities. However, he was spotted by the guards and began chasing down a highway. The attacker who hit the car was taken into custody by the police. Crews found two guns in the vehicle.
In June 2020, Ezekiel Kelly was arrested on charges of attempted first-degree murder, reckless threats and aggravated assault. Despite serving a three-year sentence, he was released in March this year after only 11 months in detention.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland has announced that the latest tragedies would not have happened if the courts had not released Ezekiel. “Had Mr. Kelly completed his three-year sentence, he would still be in jail today and our four citizens could still be alive,” he said.
The reason for the attacker’s release has not yet been clarified by the authorities.
source: Noticias
