A Tennessee man avoided a trial and possible death sentence by pleading guilty Wednesday to fatally shooting three people and wounding three others in a daylong series of shootings that was live streamed on social media in 2022.
Ezekiel Kelly, 22, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and two dozen other charges in a Memphis courtroom. Shelby County Judge James Jones Jr. sentenced Kelly to three life sentences without parole, plus 221 years, in a deal with prosecutors.
Kelly had pleaded not guilty in the September 2022 shooting rampage in Memphis that led to a citywide shelter-in-place order during a frantic manhunt. He took the stand during Wednesday's hearing, telling the judge he agreed to plead guilty and that he accepted the prison sentences.
