Memphis interstate shooting suspect free on bond

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

A father and his four children are recovering from a highway shooting earlier this week, but ABC24 is learning the shooting on I-240 may have been avoided.

SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — A father and his four children are recovering from a brazen highway shooting earlier this week, but ABC24 is learning the shooting on I-240 could have been avoided if the revolving door had had a better adhesion.

Law enforcement had arrested Kendrick Ray, 21, multiple times before Tuesday's shooting on I-240 that left a family in critical condition. He is a prime suspect in another case on June 3, when a woman was carjacked at a BP gas station, according to the affidavit.

However, he also faces criminal charges last summer for possessing an illegal weapon, a modified Glock. In this case, he was arrested and released on $500 bail. Those charges were still pending at the time of Tuesday's incident.

“The Judicial Commissioner set bail at $500 without involving his office. Ray agreed to plead guilty to these charges…his case was set for July 23,” the Shelby County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.

It is unclear which judicial commissioner was responsible for each bail amount because it is not publicly available information. However, the watchdog group Memphis Crime Beat wants commissioners to be more accountable.

“I have no questions about their dedication. I am thinking of the room for maneuver in the judgment and the possibility of lowering the bail. In 89% of cases, they reduce the bail compared to what was recommended. It’s a lot,” said Norman Blake, co-founder of Memphis Crime Beat.

A report on 2023 data from Shelby County Judicial Commissioners says the rate of new arrests is only about 7%, but South Memphis residents just want something to change.

“Memphis got a little out of control. We just want guns off the streets. Put down your weapons and fight like a man,” said Memphian Kenny Lee.

ABC24 submitted a records request to Shelby County asking which judicial commissioner was responsible for setting Ray's $500 bond last summer.

We will update this article as more information becomes available.

RELATED: Two people charged after interstate shooting leaves 4 children, 1 man seriously injured

RELATED: Memphis Police Search for Suspects After Connecting 2 Carjackings – One at McDonald's on Quince and Another Leaving a Woman Shot