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Gunman livestreams shooting rampage that killed four, injured three

WARNING — GRAPHIC CONTENT: Distressing video has emerged online showing the chilling moment a gunman walks into a store before shooting an unsuspecting shopper during a violent shooting spree.

The man, who police identified as 19-year-old Ezekiel Kelly, allegedly drove around Memphis, in the US state of Tennessee, shooting at people and live-streamed it on Facebook on Wednesday (local time). He has since been arrested, police say.

His two-hour rampage has left at least four dead and three injured.

In the video shared on Twitter, the man appears on camera while sitting in his car. Memphis police said he was seen driving in a light blue Infiniti before switching to a grey Toyota SUV.

Memphis gunman Ezekiel Kelly livestream
Gunman Ezekiel Kelly, 19, was arrested after shooting at strangers in Memphis, US after live streaming it. Source: Memphis Police Department via AP/Twitter

He then films himself getting out of his vehicle and walking towards a shop entrance before opening the door and stepping inside.

At this point, the camera switches to face the inside of the store, presumably to capture what he does next.

As a stranger steps out from behind a shop display, the gunman pulls out a weapon and shoots twice. Two loud bangs can be heard.

The gunman then appears to turn around and run back out the door as the camera becomes unsteady.

The man is in a critical condition, WREG Memphis reported.

Four dead, three injured in shooting spree

Memphis police spokeswoman Karen Rudolph said the 19-year-old was taken into custody after 9pm, about two hours after police first sent out an alert.

Police confirmed he recorded his actions on Facebook and said four people had died, including two women.

Residents nearby, including students at The University of Memphis, were told to stay indoors and not go outside.

"We are getting reports that he is recording his actions on Facebook," the Memphis Police Department said in updates on social media before the arrest.

"The suspect is still at large. If you do not have to be out, stay indoors until this is resolved."

Ms Rudolph told local news channel WMC-TV that police did not know of a motive for the shooting.

Shooting timeline: Gunman 'stole car' before arrest

Kelly's first alleged murder was at 12.56am, when a 24-year-old man was killed. At 4.38pm, a second man was found dead in a vehicle.

At 4.40pm and 5.59pm, two others were shot and injured – including the man inside the store.

At 7.23pm, about 90 minutes before his arrest, Kelly allegedly shot and killed a woman before taking her grey SUV and fleeing the scene.

At 7.24pm, another man was shot before a woman was killed at 8.55pm. Immediately after the killing, Kelly allegedly carjacked another vehicle before being arrested around 9pm.

Memphis has been shaken by several high-profile killings in recent weeks, including the shooting of a pastor during a daylight carjacking in her driveway, the shooting of an activist during an argument over money, and the slaying of a woman who was abducted while she was on a pre-dawn run.

Court records show in February of 2020, Kelly, then 17, was charged as an adult with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, using a firearm to commit a dangerous felony and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. Circumstances of the case were not immediately known.

Records show he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced to three years in prison. It was not immediately known how much of the sentence he served.

with AP

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