MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man accused of a prolonged shooting spree that left three individuals dead and three others injured in Memphis is set to stand trial in July, as confirmed by a judge on Friday. If found guilty of first-degree murder, he faces the possibility of the death penalty.
Ezekiel Kelly has entered a not guilty plea to over twenty state charges stemming from the mass shooting incident that took place in September 2022. The violent day prompted city officials to implement a shelter-in-place order and initiated a frantic manhunt for the suspect.
Judge James Jones Jr. scheduled the trial for July 14 during a brief court appearance. Kelly, now 22 years old, is charged with the killings of Dewayne Tunstall, Richard Clark, and Allison Parker. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy indicated in a March 2023 press conference that prosecutors will pursue the death penalty if Kelly is convicted of first-degree murder.
In his announcement, Mulroy pointed out several reasons behind the decision to seek capital punishment, noting the random nature of the mass shooting and Kelly’s previous conviction for aggravated assault.
According to police records, multiple witnesses observed Kelly fatally shoot Tunstall at a gathering in Memphis around 1 a.m. on September 7, 2022. Later that day, he shot Clark and Parker while roaming the city, during which he live-streamed parts of his activities online.
Authorities reported that three additional individuals sustained injuries as a result of the gunfire. Kelly also faces charges that include reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, acts of terrorism, property theft, and evading arrest.
The shocking violence resulted in the suspension of the Memphis public bus system, the lockdown of two nearby college campuses, and the halting of a minor league baseball game.
Following the gunfire, Kelly reportedly carjacked at least two vehicles before being apprehended after crashing a stolen car while attempting to escape the police. Initially, law enforcement officials indicated that four people had died, but later clarified that the total was three after confirming that one of the deaths was unrelated to the incident.
This surge of violence occurred just a few months after Kelly had been released early from a three-year prison sentence for two separate shootings in 2020. In February of that year, he was charged as an adult with attempted first-degree murder among other offenses. Both victims of those earlier shootings survived but did not testify against him. Kelly later pleaded guilty to lesser charges of aggravated assault in April 2021 and received a three-year prison sentence. He was released after serving a little over two years, benefitting from credit for time served prior to his plea agreement.
Family members have shared that Allison Parker was a mother of three who worked as a medical assistant at a clinic in West Memphis, Arkansas. Meanwhile, Richard Clark was employed as a campus safety officer at Christian Brothers University following a career as a corrections officer.