Memphis shooting spree: Medical assistant, father-of-two and 17-year-old girl among Ezekiel Kelly's victims
Warning: This content contains graphic description of violence and an account of a mass shooting and can be triggering to some; readers' discretion is advised
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: In an incident that sent shockwaves across the state, Ezekiel Kelly, 19, a crazed gunman recorded himself live on Facebook driving around the city and shooting at people. His mass shooting spree ended up killing four and injuring three others. Kelly, allegedly began his rampage at around 1 in the morning and tormented the city for more than 19 hours, before being captured by the police.
His senseless act left many witnesses scarred including the families of the innocent victims of his 22-hour long shooting spree in Memphis. A teenage girl and a medical assistant and a father-of-two have been identified as three of the four persons Kelly shot dead during the traumatizing few hours. Kelly has a violent criminal history, and police have traced him to eight distinct instances. At approximately 7 pm on Wednesday, September 7, they issued a social media warning to the public advising them to beware of Kelly, calling him "armed and dangerous." Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said it had been a "horrific week" for the community with the ongoing Eliza Fletcher murder case.
READ MORE
Indiana 17-year-old arrested for mass murder of family of 5 and unborn child after argument about leaving home
Ezekiel Kelly's victims
Dewayne Tunstall, 24, who was apparently a friend of Kelly's, was shot and killed in his driveway on Glendale Avenue at roughly 12:56 in the morning of September 7, according to Daily Mail. Kelly and Tunstall were visiting friends when Kelly dragged him aside, pulled out a black revolver and shot him many times in the head. Tunstall's best friend, Marcus Cash, told WMC of Memphis that the group was at his house to eat barbecue. “He ate. He ate his food; it was out the blue! Like it was out the blue like literally,” said Cash. Cash shared he was laying down his 18-month-old daughter for the night when the shooting began and now his children's rooms are riddled with bullet holes. Police said Cash had even offered Kelly a meal. Cash says he calls the alleged shooter an “acquaintance,” but there was no known beef between the two. Cash revealed his pal Tunstall was a budding entrepreneur working on renovating homes and that he had plans to open a food truck called EBE, which stands for “Everybody Eats". A phrase his friend loved. Tunstall was a father of a little girl with one on the way.
After the first gunshot, he continued firing at random for many hours, prompting residents to seek refuge in their houses. He then opened fire on a guy several times while he was sitting in his car on South Parkway East at about 4.38 pm, and two minutes later he shot a lady close to Norris Road and Interstate 240. She was transferred to a hospital where she is still being treated for a stable condition after being shot in the leg.
Just before six o'clock in the evening, crazed Kelly opened fire at an AutoZone location on Jackson Avenue, where he began to live-stream the tragedy on Facebook. Rodolfo Berger, who is still in serious condition in the hospital awaiting surgery, is believed to have been shot twice by him during that time. Jenny Berger, his daughter has updated about his condition in a Facebook post, saying her dad got out of his second surgery. and will be operated again a third time to find a source of a small blood loss. She has also warned the public against fake fundraising campaigns in her name.
According to reports, Kelly then attempted to switch vehicles. He moved on to kill Allison Parker, a medical assistant by profession, at 7.23 pm as he carjacked her and fled in her Toyota SUV. A minute later, police discovered another man with gunshot wounds. Parker worked for for Dr. Trent Pierce at Family Practice of West Memphis. The business shared a tribute to their employee on Facebook.
A verified online fundraiser on GoFundMe started by Jonathan Menard states that Parker was a mother of three children who lost their father two years ago. One of her children was with her at the time of the shooting.
Around 8.55 pm, Kelly shot Corteria Wright, 17, in the back and she is believed to be his last victim before being captured by police at 8.58 pm. Corterian Wright, her grieving father, posted a tearful video pleading with people to "stop the senseless s***," adding: "My baby just turned 17. Please stop the violence, I'm begging y'all."
“My baby won’t answer her phone,”, he wrote on Facebook. "I can’t believe you’re gone 2 weeks later! " the slain teen's dad posted alongside a video of them celebrating her birthday.
Kelly's motives are still not clear. However, the gunman has a violent past and an extensive rapsheet at such a young age. According to court records, a February 3, 2020 incident led to Kelly being charged with first-degree attempted murder. He was also accused of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, employment of a firearm with the intent to conduct a serious offense, and aggravated assault.