Ezekiel Kelly sentenced in 2022 Memphis shooting spree: All you need to know
Courtroom moments as Ezekiel Kelly receives life sentences.
Ezekiel Kelly, the 22-year-old accused of a September 2022 shooting rampage across Memphis that left three dead and three injured, has reached a dramatic legal resolution. By pleading guilty to multiple charges, including first-degree murder, Kelly avoided a prolonged trial and potential death sentence. This definitive plea deal delivers justice, spares grieving families years of court proceedings, and ends one of Memphis’s most shocking chapters.
The Shootings That Paralyzed Memphis
On September 7, 2022, Ezekiel Kelly carried out a terrifying, day-long shooting spree across various parts of Memphis. Beginning shortly before 1 a.m., the violence unfolded at multiple locations, including a gathering on Lyndale Avenue, a gas station, an AutoZone where he livestreamed himself firing shots, and along Interstate 240. In total, three people were killed, Dewayne Tunstall, Richard Clark, and Allison Parker, and three others were wounded.
The rampage triggered a citywide shelter-in-place order, shut down public transit, locked down two college campuses, and disrupted a minor-league baseball game.
Arrest and Legal Proceedings
After wreaking havoc across the city, Kelly carjacked multiple vehicles and was ultimately arrested when he crashed a stolen car while fleeing.
Initially, Kelly pleaded not guilty to more than two dozen charges, including three counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, reckless endangerment, terrorism, and carjacking.
Prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty if Kelly were convicted . His trial was originally set for July 14, 2025, but was later postponed; subsequently, a new trial date of February 9, 2026 was set.
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The Confession & Plea Deal
On August 13, 2025, in a Memphis courtroom, Ezekiel Kelly pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and over two dozen related charges. In doing so, he avoided both a trial and the potential death penalty.
During the hearing, Kelly took the stand, visibly emotional, crying and wiping his eyes, as a relative of a victim gave their statement. Kelly expressed remorse, saying there was “nothing I could say to give shooting victims and their families closure,” admitting he was in the “darkest place of my life” at the time. He added, “God gave me a second chance”.
Sentencing: Life Without Parole and Beyond
Shelby County Judge James Jones Jr. accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Kelly to:
- Three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus
- 221 additional years behind bars.
District Attorney Steve Mulroy affirmed the benefits of the agreement, noting that “death penalty cases can drag on for years, if not decades,” and that this resolution gives families certainty and finality, guaranteeing Kelly “will never see the light of day” . Kelly’s attorney, Michael Scholl, echoed that his client is “truly sorry for what he’s done”.
Why This Case Matters
This plea deal marks a critical juncture in the case, one of the most chilling in Memphis history:
- Justice and Closure: The agreement spares families additional emotional turmoil and legal limbo.
- Public Safety: Kelly is assuredly off the streets, never to reenter society.
- Court Efficiency: A death-penalty trial in capital cases typically lingers; the deal ends it abruptly and with finality.
- Societal Reflection: Kelly’s remorse and reflections on being in a “darkest place” open broader conversations about mental health, access to help, and intervention before violence erupts.
