College student dies after being shot in head on afternoon walk in TN park, cops say
UPDATE: Jillian Ludwig, the 18-year-old Belmont University student who was shot in the head, died overnight, according to a Nov. 9 Metropolitian Nashville Police Department post on X, formally known as Twitter. Modifications to the suspect’s original charges are in discussion, police said.
See the original story below.
A stray bullet struck an 18-year-old university student in a Tennessee park, police said. A suspect has since been arrested.
While walking on a track in Edgehill Community Memorial Gardens Park in Nashville, 18-year-old Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig was shot in the head, according to a Nov. 7 post from the Metropolitian Nashville Police Department on X, formerly known as Twitter. The shooting, which occurred that afternoon, left Ludwig “very critically wounded,” police said.
Ludwig was in critical condition, a Nashville Police Department spokesperson told McClatchy News on Nov. 8. She was sent to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and was not expected to survive, according to an affidavit obtained by McClatchy News.
Ludwig was found in the park by another person about an hour after she was shot, according to the affidavit. Video footage taken from a housing complex nearby showed Ludwig get shot when an unknown man fired his gun at a car, the affidavit said.
The “dark sedan” being shot at was seen fleeing the area in the video footage, officials said. Six 40 caliber cartridge casings were found near the scene, according to the affidavit.
Shaquille Taylor was named as the shooting suspect by Nashville police, according to a Nov. 8 announcement posted to X. His charges were aggravated assault and evidence tampering, according to the police update.
A “confidential informant” told police Taylor was “responsible for the shooting,” the affidavit said. Investigators also spoke with a witness who identified Taylor in a photo lineup as the suspect, officials said.
Taylor was detained after he walked out of his girlfriend’s apartment, which was near where the shooting occurred, according to the affidavit. Taylor and his girlfriend were taken to the Nashville police station for questioning, the affidavit said.
His girlfriend told police that Taylor confided in her that he was involved in a shooting, according to the affidavit. Taylor also “admitted to firing shots at a car” and said he was the suspect in the video footage, officials said. In addition to admitting to shooting the gun, Taylor told police he “disposed of the gun” he fired to a person named “Lil Greg,” the affidavit said.
The 29-year-old is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 9, according to Davidson County Criminal Court records. He was previously convicted of assault in 2016, as well as contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2018, court records show.
Belmont University President Greg Jones identified Ludwig, who was from New Jersey, as a freshman majoring in music business in a statement to campus community members, local media outlets reported. She was also an avid bass player who attended local concerts and used music “as a way to connect with those around her,” Jones said in the statement.
“Jillian is an engaged member of our community who is known for her love of music and its incredible power,” Jones said in the statement.
This story was originally published November 8, 2023 at 12:31 PM with the headline "College student dies after being shot in head on afternoon walk in TN park, cops say."
