Ezekiel Kelly was named by Memphis police as the active shooter who randomly gunned down seven people, killing four of them, in public places throughout the Tennessee city.
Kelly, 19, who is now in custody, according to Memphis police, was streaming live on Facebook during the shootings. As of 1 p.m. September 8, he had not been charged. He is also known as Ezekiel Dejuan Kelly and Ezekiel D. Kelly.
“This has been a horrific week for the city of Memphis,” the Memphis police chief, C.J. Davis, said in a news conference.
Allison Parker, a young mother and medical assistant, was named as one of the deceased victims.
She said that four people (two men and two women) were shot to death , three people were shot and wounded and an eighth victim was carjacked but was not injured. She gave a detailed timeline of the shooting spree, which you can see later in this article.
Kelly crashed a carjacked Dodge Challenger and was arrested near Ivan and Hodges Roads, ending the random shooting spree that terrified the already traumatized city, according to Fox 13 Memphis.
FacebookEzekiel Kelly
The gunman streamed live on Facebook, a page called “Zeek Huncho,” the chief confirmed. You can watch the Facebook Live video later in this article, but be forewarned that it’s very disturbing and extremely violent and graphic because it shows a man being shot in an AutoZone. The victims have not yet been identified. That man is in critical condition, but four others did not survive their injuries in separate shootings.
The URL of the Facebook page read “bankboy Zeek” and contained photos of guns. It has now been deleted.
Kelly was photographed smiling after his arrest.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Kelly Says on Facebook Live Video, ‘This S*** for Real,’ Before Randomly Shooting a Man in an AutoZone
The AutoZone video is very graphic and disturbing.
The video clip shows the active shooter walking into the store and randomly shooting a man within seconds of walking inside. The man is simply standing in the aisle of the store when he is attacked.
“No fakin’, no fakin’. This s*** for real…,” the active shooter said nonchalantly as he walked in the store.
In a second video clip, he drives past a gas station and appears to shoot. The language in this video is also extremely graphic. “This s*** for real n*****,” he said.
Videos of the suspect on Facebook Live were widely shared on social media. In one video, he said, “This s*** too easy.” Police said they were able to connect the Zeek Huncho page to Ezekiel Kelly and identify the shooter.
2. Police Called Kelly, Who Has a Serious Criminal History for Attempted Murder & an Arrest Warrant for Murder, ‘Armed & Dangerous’
FacebookPhoto on the Zeek Huncho Facebook page.
Kelly, who lives on Hitchcock Drive in Memphis, was the subject of an arrest warrant on a first-degree murder charge issued on September 7, 2022, according to Shelby County court records viewed by Heavy. Details of that case were not immediately known.
In February 2020, Kelly was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, court records obtained by Heavy show. A grand jury indicted on him on those charges in June 2020. He was 17 years old at the time.
He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in April 2021 and was sentenced to three years in prison. Kelly served only 11 months in prison and was released only about six months ago, authorities said in the news conference.
Memphis police wrote at about 7 p.m. Central time, “ALERT!! ARMED AND DANGEROUS!!!! Be on the lookout for a male Black occupying a blue or silver sedan (possibly an Infiniti or Nissan) who is responsible for multiple shootings. We are getting reports that he is recording his actions on Facebook. We do not have a specific location of where he is now. If you have any information of his whereabouts call 911 immediately.”
Police then wrote that the gunman had changed cars, “UPDATE: suspect is now believed to be in a grey Toyota SUV.”
UPDATE: the vehicle reportedly has a red dealer tag and a rear window busted out.
Memphis police shared a photo from the Zeek Huncho Facebook page and wrote, “The suspect is a 19-year-old male Black driving a light blue Infiniti.”
The suspect is a 19-year-old male Black driving a light blue Infiniti.
The active shooter scare comes as Memphis is reeling from the abduction and murder of jogger Eliza Fletcher.
3. Memphis Police Said in a Detailed Rampage Timeline That There Were at Least Eight Crime Scenes Throughout the City
Facebook/policeGraphic video has emerged from a Memphis AutoZone.
The police chief gave this detailed timeline on the shooting spree:
The first shooting occurred at 12:56 a.m. A man victim was lying deceased in a driveway along Lyndale Avenue. The homicide suspect was known as “Zeek Huncho” on Facebook, police learned.
At 4:38 p.m., officers responded to another shooting in the 900 block of South Parkway East, and they located a male victim in his vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. He was deceased. Video surveillance showed a Black male pulled up to the victim in a gray sedan, fired multiple shots and fled.
At 4:40 p.m., at Norris Road and Interstate 240, a female victim sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. Her injuries were not critical.
At 5:59 p.m., officers responded to a shooting in the 4000 block of Jackson Avenue. The chief confirmed that the suspect, using the through the Zeek Huncho page, was on Facebook Live at that time. A male with a gunshot wound was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
The suspect was on Zeek Huncho’s Facebook Live threatening to cause harm to people, police learned. At 7:23 p.m., officers responded to a shooting at Poplar Avenue and Evergreen. A female was shot by the gunman during a carjacking. That woman was killed. The suspect took her SUV and fled the scene.
A minute later, they then found another male victim who had been shot along Poplar Avenue. He was taken to the hospital with non-critical injuries.
Then at 8:55 p.m., officers located another female victim with gunshot wounds. She was deceased.
At 8:56 p.m., at Stateline Road and Highway 51, the suspect carjacked a gray Dodge Challenger. This victim was uninjured. Two minutes later, authorities spotted the Challenger, and a high-speed pursuit ensued.
Police wrote several warnings about the active shooter on Twitter.
“UPDATE: the vehicle reportedly has a red dealer tag and a rear window busted out,” police wrote.
They provided information on some of the shootings:
At 4:35 PM, MPD responded to a shooting at 946 East Parkway South, where a male victim was located with a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced deceased on scene. There is no suspect information at this time. Call 901-528-CASH with tips.
At 4:36PM officers responded to a shooting on Norris Road near I-240 Southbound Ramp. Officers located a female victim with a gunshot wound. She was transported to ROH in critical condition. Please avoid the area as this is an ongoing investigation.
4. Numerous Photos on the Zeek Huncho Facebook Page Show the Suspect With Guns & Wads of Cash
FacebookZeek Huncho Facebook photo
The cover photo on the Zeek Huncho page shows a man with what appears to be a firearm. That post reads, “FREE MY KILLER KARMA BEEN BAD SINCE YOU BEEN GONE 💚 Luh Ty.” You can see it here:
FacebookZeek Huncho page picture
The page reads, “longlive kinglonglive ricolonglive terio ,8-8-22 #SVMCEOZEEK #NHC,” and says its user lives in Memphis and is from Spring Valley, Tennessee.
FacebookZeek Huncho page photo
In July, he wrote, “If I Lose It All Today I’ll Get It Back Tomorrow 💥Ima Natural Born Hustla Been This Way Since A Toddler💰 #fifthball”
Another July post refers to a shootout.
“I can’t lie again, I can’t tell on my friend
They asked and you told what you knew ’bout ✅
I charged my F&N, hope it blow again
I’m the first one to shoot in a shootout 💚”
He wrote in June, “I just don’t understand this ‘I pray to the judge’ but you was my charge partner and you describe to the judge im the driver and my nick and government name people are delusional 🤷🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️”
5. The Suspect Wrote, ‘I’m Sorry Momma, I Know You Hate How I Live’
🚨BREAKING: Memphis Police is searching for a man who is allegedly driving around the city shooting at people and recording it on social media. The suspect is believed to be driving an Infinity or Nissan. He is considered armed and dangerous.
The top visible post on the since-deleted Zeek Huncho Facebook page is from August 18.
It reads, “I’m sorry momma I know you hate how I live fuc it this just what it is I got you 4 life I know you pray every night I swear wont GO witout a fight I promise I want go out like his kinfolk #JustUs.”
A woman wrote on Twitter during the spree, “Memphis followers get in the house and don’t stop at any gas stations there’s an active shooter shooting people at random 😳”
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