18-Year-Old Musician Dies After Being Struck in Head by Stray Bullet in Nashville

Jillian Ludwig, an 18-year-old aspiring musician and a freshman at Belmont University, has died following a shooting in Nashville on Tuesday. Ludwig tragically passed away after she was rushed to the hospital "extremely critical condition" after she was hit in the head by a stray bullet while walking at Edgehill Community Memorial Gardens Park, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a news release.

According to police, the shooting occurred at around 2:24 p.m. local time when a man, later identified as 29-year-old Shaquille Taylor, opened fire on a car traveling on 13th Ct toward Deford Bailey Avenue. Ludwig, a freshman music business major who was walking in the park located on the opposite side of Deford Bailey Avenue, was reportedly struck in the head and "immediately" collapsed. Police said she was not discovered until approximately an hour later when a passerby spotted her and called police. She was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in "extremely critical condition." The university said in an email to students and staff, per The Tennessean, that Ludwig's "family arrived in Nashville tonight and are with her at the hospital." In an update Thursday, Nashville police confirmed "Ludwig passed away during the night."

BREAKING: Shaquille Taylor, 29, is being charged with agg assault & evidence tampering for Tue afternoon's shooting of Belmont Univ student Jillian Ludwig, 18. Taylor was shooting at a car when a bullet hit Ludwig in the head as she walked on a track in a park across the street. pic.twitter.com/ZkoB7clySc

— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) November 8, 2023

Police identified Taylor as the suspect in the shooting following a review of surveillance camera footage and witness information. Taylor, who was previously arrested in September in connection to a carjacking, was arrested at around 10 p.m. that same night by Homicide Unit and Specialized Investigations Division detectives. According to his arrest affidavit, police found six 40-caliber bullet casings on 13th Court near 14th Avenue South, and video footage showed a man firing multiple rounds toward a dark sedan. Police said Taylor admitted to firing shots and told officers he gave the gun involved in the shooting to another person. He is currently charged with aggravated assault and evidence tampering and is jailed in lieu of $280,000 bond. Police said said they "are in discussion with the District Attorney's Office concerning modified charges against" him.

"Jillian is an engaged member of our community who is known for her love of music and its incredible power," Belmont University President Greg Jones shared in a campus-wide statement Wednesday. "A music business major and bass player, she is often found at concerts, cheering on fellow musicians and using music as a way to connect with those around her. Jillian is also an avid runner who enjoys being outside."

News Channel 5 reports that hundreds of Belmont University students on Wednesday gathered to sing and pray for Ludwig and her family. Mayor Freddie O'Connell said, "we have to resolve to fight for a more just society where this kind of violence does not plague our streets, but also a safer community, that takes action. We know that that it is impossible to feel safe when any of us are not safe in some way."