A Tennessee man accused of livestreaming a shooting spree that left three dead and three others wounded in 2022 pleaded guilty to more than two dozen charges on Wednesday.
Ezekiel Kelly, 22, originally pleaded not guilty to the 26 charges against him, which include three counts of first-degree murder, but he changed his plea in order to avoid a trial and possible death penalty.
Kelly was sentenced to three life sentences without parole, plus 221 years, in a deal with prosecutors.
According to authorities, Kelly went on a carjacking and shooting spree in Memphis on Sept. 7, 2022 that led to a frantic search and city-wide shelter-in-place order. He partially broadcast his actions on Facebook and Instagram during the hours-long incident.
Kelly was eventually arrested when he crashed a stolen car while fleeing police.
Three people were wounded in the rampage and three others were killed: 24-year-old DeWayne “Amir” Tunstall, 62-year-old Richard Clark and 38-year-old Allison Parker.
In the courtroom on Wednesday, Kelly cried as a relative of one of victims gave an impact statement. He then took the stand to tell Shelby County Judge James Jones Jr. that he agreed to plead guilty, accepted his sentence and wanted to help others avoid the same bad decisions he made.
“He’s truly sorry for what he’s done,” Kelly’s lawyer, Michael Scholl, told reporters after the hearing.
The trial had been scheduled to begin next February. Kelly’s lawyers said evidence included 400 witnesses and more than 300 videos.
Prosecutors said they planned to seek the death penalty if Kelly was convicted of first-degree murder. The other charges against him included attempted murder, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, theft and commission of an act of terrorism.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said the victims’ families were satisfied with the plea deal.
“Death penalty cases can drag on for years, if not decades, making the families and the victims stuck in the pain,” Mulroy told reporters. “What we achieved today achieved certainty and finality, making sure that Mr. Kelly will never see the light of day.”
With News Wire Services
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