A teenager has been arrested after an hours-long shooting spree across the city of Memphis that left four people dead in a series of separate attacks, including one that was broadcast live on Facebook, police said on Thursday.
Charges were pending for Ezekiel Kelly, 19, who was taken into custody on Wednesday after multiple shootings over the course of the day left the Tennessee city on edge and forced many of its 630,000 residents to shelter in place, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said.
At an early morning briefing, Mayor Jim Strickland expressed his sympathies for the victims and their families and acknowledged the sense of dread that gripped the city, which was already shaken by the kidnapping and murder of a female jogger in a separate case that captured national attention.
"I am angry for them and angry for our citizens who had to shelter in place for their own safety," Strickland said. "This is no way for us to live. It is not acceptable."
"This is no way for us to live. It is not acceptable."
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland
Reports of actions recorded on Facebook
"We are getting reports he is recording his actions on Facebook," police said then.
One brief video posted on Facebook showed a man rambling "this is for real" and using coarse language as he opened the door of a shop and fired twice at the first person to come into view. Reuters could not verify the video's authenticity.