Facebook removed Memphis shooting livestream before police public alert, Meta says
Memphis police say suspect Ezekiel Kelly was broadcasting on social media
Meta told FOX Business Thursday that it is "working closely" with the Memphis Police Department following a shooting rampage that authorities say was livestreamed on Facebook.
Memphis Police Director Cerelyn Davis said suspect Ezekiel Kelly broadcast his actions on the social media website Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. The shooting spree ultimately left four people dead and three injured.
"We are working closely with law enforcement on this matter," a Meta spokesperson told FOX Business. "We were in direct touch with the Memphis Police Department shortly after they issued their initial public alert about this incident (which was at 7 p.m. CT).
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This undated photo released by the Memphis Police Department shows 19-year-old shooting suspect Ezekiel Kelly. (Memphis Police Department/AP / AP Images)
"We identified and removed the Live content prior to the Memphis Police Department's initial public alert," the spokesperson added.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| META | META PLATFORMS INC. | 493.50 | -2.27 | -0.46% |
Meta also said it "quickly designated this as a violating event, and took action to identify and remove the account of the identified suspect as well as any content related to the attack.
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Police investigate the scene of a reported carjacking reportedly connected to a series of shootings on Sept. 7, in Memphis, Tennessee. (Brad Vest/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"It also means that any copies of or links to video or other content that praises, supports, or represents this attack violates our policies and will be removed," the spokesperson said.
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The suspect, Ezekiel Kelly, is also accused of two armed carjackings that happened as he attempted to flee from police.
A Memphis Police Department cruiser responds Wednesday following a shooting spree in the Tennessee city. (Brad Vest/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Authorities said the rampage was spread across at least eight different crime scenes.
Fox News' Louis Casiano and Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.