Memphis Police arrested teenage who was shooting live streaming on Facebook
An investigation led to the capture of a 19-year-old man who police believe was responsible for a series of gunfire in Memphis on Wednesday evening, ending a crisis that forced residents to remain indoors for more than two hours.
At approximately 9:20 p.m., police in Whitehaven reported the arrest of Ezekiel Dejuan Kelly.
Around 7 o’clock, residents were asked to remain inside while police looked for the alleged shooter.
At 8:53 p.m., police from the Southaven Police Department tweeted that they had responded to a vehicle theft at the Raceway gas station located at 580 Stateline Rd. Once officers realised Kelly was the prime suspect, they reportedly flooded the area with officers.
After issuing a shelter-in-place alert for a portion of Whitehaven, police verified Kelly’s arrest.
Kelly was arrested in 2020 for reckless endangerment and attempted first-degree murder.
After serving three years of his sentence, he was released on March 16 of this year. On Wednesday night, the police department issued a warrant for Kelly’s arrest for first-degree murder. The number of casualties and fatalities was not immediately released by police.
After early reports indicated Kelly was operating a Toyota with a red dealer tag and a shattered rear window, police issued a new alert advising the public to keep an eye out for a grey Toyota with the Arkansas licence plate AEV63K.
The videos that Kelly had posted on Facebook earlier that Wednesday were taken off later that evening. On Wednesday night, Kelly’s Instagram was deleted as well.
Sgt. Louis Brownlee, a spokesperson for the Memphis Police Department, said he had heard rumours that Kelly had stolen the SUV and injured the driver, but he could not corroborate those rumours.
“The suspect is still at large,” police tweeted around 8 o’clock. “If you do not have to be out, stay indoors until this is resolved.”
The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) has temporarily halted all bus and trolley service as they search for the alleged shooter.
Public transit agency MATA released a press release on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m., saying that its leaders were being “MATA leaders are acting in an abundance of caution and care for the safety of its drivers and riders,” for the protection of their drivers and passengers.
The MPD has received information that the suspect is filming his own shootings and sharing them on Facebook.
At 7:31 p.m. on October 2, 2018, shots were fired near the intersection of Patterson Street and Southern Avenue in the southwest corner of the University of Memphis campus. The guy “immediately fled” the area, the notice said.
The University issued a revised advisory at 8:09 p.m. stating, “there is no threat currently at the University,” but still recommending that students stay inside until further notice.
For “general safety” the entire campus was closed down, and police were on foot patrol.
It appears that all University phones and the LiveSafe app have been inundated with calls and reports, the University of Minnesota stated in its notice.
A Commercial Appeal reporter witnessed a man being carried into an ambulance at the corner of Poplar and McLean boulevards, and police crime scene tape was placed in the area outside the Midtown Center for Health and Rehabilitation.
An open-windowed Honda Pilot SUV was parked nearby.
On Wednesday night, police sealed down North Evergreen Street between McLean Boulevard and Poplar Avenue.
On Wednesday night, neighbours of the area gathered outside their homes on North Auburndale Street, close to the scene of one of the events.
