Ezekiel Kelly, accused of a deadly daylong shooting spree in Memphis in September 2022, will stand trial on July 14, 2024. The 22-year-old faces the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder in a rampage that killed three people, wounded three others, and caused citywide panic.
Charges and Potential Death Penalty
Kelly has pleaded not guilty to over two dozen state charges, including first-degree murder, terrorism, and reckless endangerment. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced plans to seek the death penalty, citing the random nature of the mass shooting and Kelly’s prior violent convictions.
The victims included Dewayne Tunstall, who was shot at a Memphis home. Richard Clark, a campus safety officer at Christian Brothers University. Allison Parker, a medical assistant and mother of three.
Authorities allege Kelly livestreamed parts of the rampage while carjacking vehicles and randomly targeting victims across Memphis.
Details of the Shooting Rampage
The violence began around 1 a.m. on September 7, 2022, when Kelly allegedly shot Tunstall during a gathering at a Memphis residence. Clark and Parker were later shot during Kelly’s drive across the city, during which he also wounded three others, police said.
Kelly’s actions led to a citywide shelter-in-place order, the suspension of Memphis’ public transit system, and the lockdown of two college campuses. A minor league baseball game was also stopped as a precaution.
Police arrested Kelly after a car chase ended in a crash involving a stolen vehicle.
Previous Convictions and Early Release
The September rampage occurred just months after Kelly was released early from a three-year prison sentence for two shootings in 2020. Initially charged with attempted first-degree murder, Kelly pleaded guilty to reduced charges of aggravated assault in 2021. He served just over two years, including time credited for pretrial detention.
