Memphis Teen Livestreams 5-Hour Shooting Rampage On Facebook Live

Facebook took aim at tech rival Apple for refusing to forgo its App Store commission for live events designed to help users of the social network make money during the pandemic AFP / DENIS CHARLET

KEY POINTS

A man, 19, carried out a series of shootings in Memphis, Tennessee, Wednesday
Four people were killed, and three more were injured as a result of the attacks
The man posted live footage of himself shooting people on Facebook and Instagram

A 19-year-old man carried out several shootings in Memphis, Tennessee, Wednesday, with at least one of his attacks being broadcast on Facebook, authorities said.

The man, identified as Ezekiel Kelly, allegedly shot a total of seven people that day, WMC-TV 5 reported.

Four of the victims died, while the remaining three were injured, according to the outlet.

Kelly's spree started just before 1 a.m. when a 24-year-old man was shot and killed in his driveway in the 3100 block of Lyndale Avenue, Cerelyn Davis, the chief of the Memphis Police Department, revealed during a news conference.

He then opened fire again at around 4:30 p.m., around the time police reported two separate shootings, Davis said, according to The New York Times.

A man was fatally shot inside his car on East Parkway South, meanwhile, a woman was shot in the leg on Norris Road near the southbound ramp to Interstate 240. The latter was taken to a hospital in non-critical condition.

Later at around 6 p.m., Kelly barged into an AutoZone store and critically wounded a man while he was on Facebook Live, authorities alleged.

A citywide search for Kelly was launched following the last attack. He was apprehended at 9:20 p.m.

But three more shootings happened before his capture.

Kelly fatally shot a woman as he carjacked her at Poplar Avenue and North Evergreen Street.

Another incident at Poplar Avenue saw a man being shot. He was taken to the hospital in non-critical condition.

A woman was also shot and killed on West Raines Road.

Kelly posted live footage of himself pointing guns and shooting people on Facebook and Instagram throughout the evening, police said.

Facebook's parent company, Meta, said it removed content related to the incident, according to NBC News.

Kelly could face numerous felony charges.

A warrant for first-degree murder was issued Wednesday for his arrest, court records showed.

Kelly's criminal history includes two counts of attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon from 2020.

He was sentenced to three years in prison but ended up serving only 11 months and was released from prison in March, according to Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.

"If Mr. Kelly served his full three-year sentence, he would still be in prison today, and four of our fellow citizens would still be alive," the official said.