Three victims in shooting spree identified
Memphis Police officers were on the scene of a carjacking at Poplar Avenue and Hawthorne Street on Wednesday, Sept. 7. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Editor’s note: On Wednesday, Sept. 7, a single suspect allegedly shot several individuals at different locations across the city of Memphis. The Memphis Police Department originally reported that seven individuals were shot during the day, and four succumbed to their injuries. MPD later revised its information and said a 17-year-old female victim shot on West Raines Road around 7 p.m. was not a victim of the mass shooter.
Three of the shooting victims of alleged mass shooter Ezekiel Kelly, 19, have been identified.
Two of the three victims who have been identified died.
Kelly was arrested Wednesday night after a daylong shooting spree across the city. Although originally the Memphis Police Department accused Kelly of shooting seven people, MPD later revised its information and said that one victim was shot by someone else. Three of those victims have since died.
According to an amended affidavit, Dewayne Tunstall, 24, was one of those killed. He was visiting friends in the 3100 block of Lyndale Avenue in Highland Heights about 1 a.m. Wednesday.
Kelly allegedly pulled Tunstall to the side and, during a conversation, discharged several shots in Tunstall’s direction. Tunstall was hit by gunfire, according to the affidavit, and pronounced dead by paramedics.
In January, Tunstall was a part of a viral post — for paying for a tank of gas for a stranger.
Tunstall, who also went by Amir Dineroo, made the news when he purchased $20 in gas for a Memphis woman.
WREG reports that Tunstall was preparing a food truck with his friends at the residence when the shooting occurred.
Another victim, Allison Parker, who was a medical assistant at the Family Practice Center in West Memphis, was fatally shot in a carjacking at 7:23 p.m. at Poplar and Evergreen.
In a Facebook post, Dr. Trent Pierce, said Parker was the “victim of the tragic violence in Memphis yesterday.”
The office was closed Thursday, Sept. 8, Pierce said in message left on the practice’s phone.
“Please pray for her family and our entire office staff as we try to process this senseless loss.”
Parker had three children. Their father died in June 2020. At the time, a co-worker set up a GoFundMe account for the children, naming Parker, their mother, as the beneficiary.
One of her daughters was in the vehicle when the car was carjacked. She escaped but, according to several Facebook posts, saw her mother shot.
A GoFundMe account has been set up for the children. A homicide advocate is taking calls on the family’s behalf.
The City of West Memphis will hold a prayer service at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, at city hall, 205 S. Redding St.
A third victim allegedly was shot in an AutoZone store by Kelly during a Facebook livestream. Rodolfo Berger had surgery to repair his wounds Wednesday, and a second surgery Thursday.
Berger’s friends have set up a GoFundMe to help pay for his expenses.
Due to the nature of this story, comments have been turned off.
Topics
Ezekiel Kelly shooting spreeBen Wheeler
Ben Wheeler is an investigative reporter and is a member of The Daily Memphian’s public safety reporting team. He previously worked at the Yankton Daily Press and Dakotan and Herald-Citizen.
Alicia Davidson
Alicia Davidson is a lifelong Memphis resident and graduate of The University of Memphis College of Journalism and Strategic Media. When not scribbling about the latest Memphis news, you will find her reading historical biographies, cooking Italian cuisine and practicing vinyasa yoga.
Jane Roberts
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
Public Safety on demand
Sign up to receive Public Safety stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Comments have been disabled on this story.