The parents of an 18-year-old Belmont University student in Nashville, Tennessee, who was shot in the head in 2023, are suing multiple people and organizations after their daughter was left for dead on the side of the road for about an hour. an hour.
A wrongful death lawsuit filed in Davidson County states that 18-year-old Jillian Ludwig “was killed in a shooting that occurred as a result of multiple acts of negligence and recklessness by the defendants here in Davidson County, Tennessee.”
Defendants include the city of Nashville, the state of Tennessee, the Nashville Metro Development and Housing Agency (MDHA), Belmont University, county or city employees who conducted a mental health evaluation of suspected shooter Shaquille Latrelle Taylor, and the gun supplier who sold the gun to Taylor. and others.
Ludwig was “considered by many music experts to be a rising star” at the time of his death, the lawsuit said. He has played six instruments, been a member of three bands and performed at popular venues in Nashville.
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Jillian Ludwig, 18, was shot and killed while jogging in Nashville, Tennessee. (Family gift)
“Jillian loved her family and friends, and was a bright and talented young woman with a bright future ahead of her,” the suit said.
The case continues to detail a series of allegations of wrongdoing that led Taylor, who had been ruled incompetent in a separate case before Ludwig’s death, to possess an illegal gun that he discharged in the area where the 18-year-old student was. -old was active on November 7, 2023.
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Jessica Thorn Ludwig, right, said she doesn’t want “any other parents to go through this hardship that we’re going through.” (Family gift)
That day, Ludwig was running on the track at Edgehill Community Memorial Gardens Park, just northeast of the Belmont campus, between classes around 2:20 p.m., when he was hit by gunfire aimed at another group, Nashville Police Department said at the time.
Nashville police arrested Taylor, 29, a repeat offender in connection with the shooting that left Ludwig in critical condition before he was pronounced dead on Nov. 8.
In March, a grand jury indicted Taylor, who had an extensive criminal record, on multiple counts, including murder, possession of a weapon with intent to commit a crime, five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and reckless endangerment.
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Shaquille Taylor has been charged with multiple charges in the death of Jillian Ludwig. (Nashville Metropolitan Police Department)
The suspect was previously accused of shooting a Nashville teenager in the chest and shooting a pregnant Nashville woman with her two children. Her injuries led to the miscarriage of her unborn child, the complaint said.
Taylor “recklessly fired a .40 caliber handgun” in Edgehill Community Memorial Gardens Park as Ludwig ran, striking the 18-year-old singer in the head.
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“Jillian lay bleeding in this area…counting, in broad daylight, for over an hour before she was found by the police and given medical attention,” the complaint said.
The criminal affidavit says Shaquille Taylor was allegedly aiming for a target named “Lil Greg,” who was driving in the area when the suspect fired shots in his direction, where Jillian Ludwig was walking at the same time. (Family gift)
Ludwig’s father, Matthew Ludwig, previously told Fox News Digital that the shooting was “totally avoidable.”
“And the existing laws have failed,” he said in November 2023.
“They are protecting criminals, not innocent victims.”
The lawsuit alleges that Belmont University knew or should have known that it notified students that the area where Ludwig ran was unsafe, as they had issued “other safety warnings … for students in other, less dangerous areas.”
Belmont University said the school had little to say about the proceedings, but the university said in a statement that “the entire institution shares in the grief of Jillian’s death,” and the community is “committed and remains concerned” for the safety” of its students.
Jillian Ludwig’s family says the laws need to be changed so that repeat offenders who appear unable to stand trial are not immediately released from custody. (Family gift)
The complaint also states that the Nashville MDHA, which owned the apartment where Taylor, a felon, allegedly fired his illegally owned weapon, had a duty to “ensure that Taylor was not using a firearm” on his property, shooting in the park where Ludwig. it was running.
The municipal housing agency said it could not comment on the litigation, and the Nashville Department of Law, which handles legal requests involving Nashville government, said it could not comment on the case until the case is resolved.
The case also called Jenny Matthai, Dr. Michael Loftin and Dr. Mary Jane Wood, and the state of Tennessee, as defendants, said three medical experts had “conflicting evaluations” that determined Taylor was more than competent to stand trial but less competent. he was eligible for involuntary manslaughter for past convictions before the shooting that killed Ludwig.
Jillian Ludwig’s parents say that although she always did well in school, she loved to play and study music. (Family gift)
Therefore, Taylor was granted “freedom from both criminal prosecution and involuntary confinement that poses a substantial risk of physical harm to Jillian,” the complaint states.
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“Defendants further knew at the time Taylor was incarcerated and in custody that he had a specific history of violence and gun violence. In addition, he said Defendants knew or should have known if they used reasonable professional judgment that Taylor would likely harm others if released,” the lawsuit says of Matthai, Loftin and Wood.
The Tennessee Department of Disabilities and Aging did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital.
The president of Belmont University, Dr. Greg Jones addressed the death of Jillian Ludwig in an email to students and staff. (Instagram)
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said his “heart goes out to Jillian Ludwig, her family and the entire Belmont community” in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
“In the past year, we have come together to grieve the senseless gun violence. I am always inspired by the incredible strength of the Belmont community as they mourn Jillian’s passing, and I hope the Ludwig family feels our support,” O’Connell said. “We continue to look for effective solutions to reduce gun violence in our community.”
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Ludwigs lawyers did not comment on the case when it was published out of respect for the family.
Matthew Ludwig previously told Fox News Digital in 2023 that until the rules change, “this could happen to anyone.” And in April 2023, the Ludwig family succeeded in doing just that with the passage of Jillian’s Law, which requires dependents deemed incompetent to be placed in an appropriate mental health facility.
The law also requires dependents determined to be incompetent to stand trial to be placed on the National Rapid Criminal Background Check Program so they cannot purchase firearms.