SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — A father and his four children are recovering after a brazen highway shooting earlier this week, but ABC24 is learning the shooting could have been avoided.
Law enforcement had arrested 21-year-old Kendrick Ray multiple times prior to Tuesday's shooting on I-240 that left a family in critical condition. He is a prime suspect in a separate case on June 3, when a woman was carjacked at a BP gas station, according to the affidavit.
However, he's also facing felony charges from last summer for possession of an illegal weapon, a modified Glock. In that case, he was booked and released on a $500 dollar bond. Those charges were still pending at the time of Tuesday's incident.
"The judicial commissioner set a $500 bond without involving their office. Ray agreed to plead guilty as charged to those 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 bond amount as it is not publicly available information. However, watchdog group Memphis Crime Beat wants more accountability from the commissioners.
“I don't have any question about their dedication. I think the leeway in the judgement and the ability to lower the bail. 89% of the time they’re lowering the bail from what was recommended. That’s a lot,” said Norman Blake, Memphis Crime Beat co-founder.
A report from 2023 data put together by the Shelby County judicial commissioners in said the re-arrest rate is only around 7 percent, but South Memphis residents just want something to change.
“Memphis has gotten a little bit out of control. We just want the guns off the street. Put the guns down and fight like a man,” said Memphian Kenny Lee.
ABC24 has 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.