MPD Chief C. J. Davis confirmed four people were killed and three were injured in the mobile mass shooting. Ezekiel Kelly has been identified as the suspect.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Police Chief C. J. Davis confirmed in a press conference Thursday morning just after midnight that four people were killed when 19-year-old Ezekiel Kelly went on a random shooting spree across Memphis. Three other shooting victims were also injured.
Police said Kelly was taken into custody in the area of Ivan Road and Hodge Road in Whitehaven. A shelter in place was issued for that area and has now been lifted.
We sat down with Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland one day after the deadly shooting. Watch here:
According to Southaven Police, a Dodge Challenger was stolen at a Raceway gas station on Stateline Road just before 9 p.m. The driver of the car recognized Kelly as the suspect and ran off. Memphis Police found the car and took Kelly into custody. Southaven Police has charged Kelly with armed carjacking for this incident.
Memphis Police first warned people in Memphis to be on the lookout for Kelly at 7 p.m. after a citizen alerted them of a Facebook Live that showed him shooting people at random Wednesday.
What MPD didn’t know was that Kelly started his shooting rampage well before 7 p.m.. Kelly killed his first victim in an overnight shooting on Lyndale Ave. at 12:56 a.m., and after taking a lengthy break, he began his mobile mass shooting as early as 4:38 p.m.
According to court records, there was an active arrest warrant out for Kelly Wednesday morning after he killed the 24-year-old man on Lyndale Ave.
12:56 a.m.
MPD said police responded to a shooting in the 3100 block of Lyndale Avenue in North Memphis. One person, 24-year-old Dewayne Tunstall, was pronounced dead.
Police said Kelly approached Tunstall while both were in the house and pulled him to the side for a conversation.
Kelly then drew a handgun and fired several shots in Tunstall’s direction, hitting him in the head.
Five other people were present at the time of the shooting, but they were not injured, MPD said.
Those five were able to identify Kelly from a six-person photo lineup as the shooter.
RELATED: One man killed in overnight shooting
4:38 p.m. Shooting spree starts
MPD said officers responded to a shooting in the 900 block of South Parkway East. MPD originally reported this shooting was on East Parkway South, but later corrected it to South Parkway East.
ABC24 was on scene and saw that the victim suffered from multiple gunshot wounds. One man was pronounced dead at the scene.
MPD later learned that this incident was connected to a mobile mass shooting.
4:40 p.m.
Police responded to a shooting at I-240 at Norris Road where a woman was shot in the leg. She was transported to Regional One in non-critical condition, MPD said.
5:59 p.m.
Police responded to an AutoZone store in the 4000 block of Jackson Avenue in North Memphis where a man was shot in the abdomen. According to MPD, he was transported to Regional One, and he remains in critical condition.
This shooting was broadcast live on a Facebook Live stream on a page named Zeek Huncho, believed to be Ezekiel Kelly’s profile, which has since been deleted.
6:12 p.m.
A citizen notified police of Kelly’s alleged Facebook Live live that was streamed from the page by the name of “Zeek Huncho”, making them aware that Kelly was at large, armed and dangerous, MPD said.
After MPD was made aware of the Facebook Live, they were able to connect the series of shootings and multiple crime scenes and activate an all-posts bulletin response.
7:00 p.m.
Police made citizens aware that there was a mobile mass shooter on the loose who was responsible for multiple shooting across Memphis. MPD gave a description of the vehicle Kelly was said to be driving, and told people to be on the lookout.
7:23 p.m.
Police responded to a woman shot on Poplar Avenue and Evergreen Street.
ABC24 was on the scene and confirmed that the woman who was shot died after suffering multiple gunshot wounds.
MPD said the suspect carjacked the woman, taking her grey Toyota SUV.
7:24 p.m.
Police responded to a shooting at Poplar Avenue and North McLean Boulevard, MPD said.
One man was transported to the hospital in non-critical condition.
7:30 p.m.: University of Memphis goes on lockdown
The University of Memphis went on lockdown around 7:30 p.m. in response to a shooting at Patterson Street and Southern Avenue, feet from the university campus.
The university said there were shots fired near Patterson and Southern, but there was no threat at the university.
Campus Police said they were working with MPD on an “active shooter situation,” referencing the mobile mass shooting.
8:40 p.m.: AutoZone Park goes on lockdown during Memphis Redbirds game
Around 8:40 p.m., AutoZone Park went on lockdown in response to public danger, citing the mobile mass shooting. Players were ushered off the field and fans took refuge in the press box.
AutoZone Park and the Memphis Redbirds suspended their game after the stadium was forced to go on lockdown. A double header has been scheduled for Thursday.
8:47 p.m. MATA suspends services
In lieu of the danger announced by MPD regarding an active shooter in the Memphis area, MATA’s trolley and bus services were suspended indefinitely.
The Memphis Area Transit Authority resumed trolley and bus service for one final run. Service will resume as scheduled Thursday morning.
8:56 p.m.
Southaven Police reported a carjacking at a Raceway gas station on Stateline Road near I-55, SHPD said.
A grey Dodge Challenger was taken. A driver recognized a man believed to be Kelly and fled the scene. That driver was not injured.
The driver did tell Southaven Police that he had two loaded guns in the car, a .45-caliber handgun and an AR-15 rifle.
8:58 p.m.
Memphis Police started a high-speed chase northbound on I-55 near Stateline Road that ended near Hodge Road and Ivan Road in Whitehaven.
Police surrounded the car and waited for tactical units to arrive. MPD issued a shelter-in-place order for Hodge Road and Ivan Road in Whitehaven.
9:21 p.m.: Ezekiel Kelly taken into custody
MPD took Kelly into custody without further incident.
Police lifted the shelter-in-place order at Hodge and Ivan.
Kelly is currently in police custody awaiting charges.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story referred to a shooting at the 800 block of West Raines Road in Whitehaven. MPD said they pronounced one woman dead on the scene near 9 p.m., and initially believed this woman to be a victim of the mass shooter. MPD later gave an update citing that further investigation revealed that another individual was responsible for this specific incident altogether.