Suspect, 19-year-old Ezekiel Kelly, is due to appear in court on Friday and face first-degree murder charges, but officials say several more felony charges are being considered.
Kelly, also known as “Zeke Funcho,” was accused of shooting Tunstall just before 1 a.m. Wednesday..his citywide search resulted in a shelter-in-place order for parts of the city. Bus and trolley services in the area were temporarily suspended.
Officers responded to the first afternoon shooting at 4:38 p.m. and found a man with multiple gunshot wounds in his car, police said. Minutes later, police announced they had found a woman with a gunshot wound to her leg at another location.
According to Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, Kelly was allegedly streaming on Facebook Live when he opened fire in the store more than an hour later. was found and he was taken to hospital in critical condition.
Officers later went to three more locations and found a man and two women shot, police said. Both women died, while the man was taken to hospital in a non-critical condition, Davis said. The shooter stole an SUV from one of the women, she said.
Police said the vehicle was found on Interstate 55 within minutes after Kelly learned he had carjacked a person at gunpoint and took off in the victim’s Dodge Challenger. After a loud car chase, Kelly was arrested and, when taken into custody, saw two weapons in the car, Davis said.
The motive for the attack is still unclear, but the city of Memphis must recover from violent assaults on some of its community members.
Tunstall’s friends remember him as a young father with ambitious dreams and a generous spirit.
Mayor denounces early release of suspect from prison
“I am mad at them and mad at our citizens who had to evacuate for their own safety until this suspect was arrested. This is how we live.” It’s not acceptable,” said Strickland.
Kelly was released from prison in March after serving 11 months of a three-year sentence for aggravated assault. He initially faced more serious charges in a 2020 incident in Shelby County, including attempted murder, reckless endangerment, and use of a firearm with intent to commit a dangerous felony, but court records show. , he only pleaded guilty to a lesser assault charge.
“Even if Mr. Kelly had completed his three-year sentence, he would still be in prison today, and four of our fellow citizens would still be alive.
CNN has reached out to Shelby County public defender for comment.
CNN’s Jamiel Lynch, Melissa Alonso, Jennifer Henderson and Nouran Salahieh contributed to this report.
Source: www.cnn.com