A man has been arrested for killing four people and injuring three more during an hours-long shooting rampage in Memphis, Tennessee on Wednesday, the police reported.
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn J. Davis identified the attacker as Ezekiel D. Kelly, 19, who shot at passersby at seven locations across the city between 12.56 am and 8.30pm. At least one of these attacks was live streamed on Facebook, Davis said at a news conference on Thursday.
Kelly was arrested when he crashed during a high-speed chase in Southaven, south of Memphis. Earlier, the suspect had killed a woman in Memphis to take her grey Toyota SUV, and later carjacked a Dodge Challenger in Southaven in his bid to flee from the police.
The rampage triggered a citywide alert, with the police asking citizens to take precaution. Public bus service was suspended and the University of Memphis advised students to shelter in place.
A short live-stream video posted on Facebook showed a man making statements such as "this is real" and using foul language as he opened the door of an auto parts store, where he shot twice at the first person who appeared. The victim, an employee, was badly wounded and taken to a hospital.
The suspect had been released earlier this year after serving 11 months of a three-year prison sentence for aggravated assault, according to the police. He has now been charged with first-degree murder, The Washington Post reported.
Memphis has been rocked by several violent incidents in recent weeks, including the abduction and murder of kindergarten teacher Eliza Fletcher, and the shooting of a police officer last week.