Highlights
- US police arrested a suspect after pursuing an "armed and dangerous man" in relation to multiple shootings.
- One shooting was posted on Facebook, and warned people to remain indoors until he was arrested.
- Police published a photo of the 19-year-old suspect on Twitter.
Washington: A man killed at least four people and wounded three others in an hours-long shooting rampage across Memphis on Wednesday, before a high-speed chase that ended with his arrest, police in the US city said.
Officers identified the suspect as Ezekiel Kelly, 19, and said he was apprehended with two weapons in his vehicle at approximately 9:00 pm local time (01:00 GMT on Thursday).
"(Kelly) was taken into custody without incident by the Memphis police department and the Shelby County sheriff's office," said Memphis police chief Cerelyn Davis at a news conference.
Kelly is alleged to have killed his first victim just after midnight on Wednesday, and gone on a shooting spree across the Tennessee city in the afternoon and early evening, Davis said.
There were at least eight different crime scenes, police said, including carjackings and a shooting at a local store, and Kelly had live-streamed parts of his spree.
"Ezekiel Kelly was on Facebook Live when he opened fire inside the store," said Davis.
Authorities issued a "shelter in place" order while the shootings were ongoing, effectively locking down parts of the city.
The United States regularly sees mass shootings and other gun violence, but Congress has been reluctant to pass strict gun control legislation as the issue remains politically divisive.
At least 490 people have been killed in mass shootings and mass murders in the US in 2022 so far, according to the Gun Violence Archive, with 14,050 people dying in gun-related incidents over the same period, excluding suicides.
Memphis has seen a string of high-profile killings in recent months, including the murder of a pastor during a carjacking and the abduction and murder last week of a woman who was on a pre-dawn run.
"I am angry. I am angry for (the victims) and I'm angry for our citizens who had to shelter in place for their own safety until this suspect was caught," said Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland following Wednesday's shootings.
"This is no way for us to live, and it is not acceptable."
Earlier report:
Memphis police on Wednesday pursued a suspect in relation to multiple shootings, including at least one that was posted on Facebook, and warned people to remain indoors until he was arrested.
There were no initial reports of anyone killed or wounded.
"The suspect is still at large. If you do not have to be out, stay indoors until this is resolved," police said in a series of Twitter posts, which included a photo of the 19-year-old suspect.
The first alert warned of an armed and dangerous man who was responsible for multiple shootings.
"We are getting reports he is recording his actions on Facebook," police said.
One brief video posted on Facebook showed a man rambling "this is for real" and using coarse language as he opened the door to a retail store and fired twice at the first person to come into view. Reuters could not verify the video's authenticity.
KAIT television reported the suspect had fled across the Tennessee state line into Arkansas.
The suspect may have switched vehicles, as police originally said he was in a light blue Infiniti with the rear window busted out, then later said he was believed to be in a gray Toyota SUV.
Labor Day weekend shootings left at least 16 dead in US. A non-profit tracking mass casualty shootings in America sees 464 mass shootings this year.
