MEMPHIS, Tenn. (NewsNation) — A gunman who livestreamed himself driving around Memphis shooting at people, killing four and wounding three others in seemingly random attacks, was finally arrested after crashing a stolen car, police said early Thursday.
The hours-long rampage had police warning people across the city to shelter in place, locking down a baseball stadium and university campuses and suspending public bus services as frightened residents wondered where the man might strike next.
Ezekiel Kelly, 19, is believed to be connected to multiple shootings that were livestreamed on social media, according to Memphis police. Kelly was released from prison earlier this year, according to police spokeswoman Karen Rudolph.
Memphis Police Director Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said during a news conference early Thursday that four people were killed and three others were wounded in seven shootings and at least two carjackings.
The first killing was at 12:56 a.m. Wednesday, and officers responded to three more crime scenes before receiving a tip at 6:12 p.m. that the suspect was livestreaming himself threatening to cause harm to citizens, Davis said.
Police then sent out an alert warning people to be on the lookout for an armed and dangerous man responsible for multiple shootings and reportedly recording his actions on Facebook.
Three more shootings and two carjackings followed. Police said he killed a woman in Memphis as he took her grey Toyota SUV, which he left behind when he stole a man’s Dodge Challenger across the state line in Southaven, Mississippi.
Kelly was arrested without incident two hours after the initial police alert when he crashed the Challenger during a high-speed chase, and two guns were found in the vehicle, Davis said.
As the shooter terrorized the city, buses stopped running and the Memphis Redbirds cleared the field during their minor-league baseball game. Friends and relatives frantically called and texted each other and TV stations cut into regular coverage with updates.
Southaven Police Department Chief Macon Moore of northern Mississippi tells NewsNation affiliate WREG he was on the phone with Memphis police when he heard a report of a carjacking near a gas station on the state line. Moore quickly passed on the vehicle description to Memphis officers, who tailed Kelly in the vehicle within minutes. Soon after, Kelly was taken into custody in Tennessee.
Officials transported Kelly to a local hospital. His condition is unknown.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.