Belmont University freshman Jillian Ludwig dies after being shot by stray bullet in Nashville park

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Belmont University freshman hit by a stray bullet while taking a walk at a park about a mile from campus has died, authorities said.

Jillian Ludwig, 18, was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center after she was found at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday lying on the ground at Edgehill Community Memorial Gardens Park. She'd been shot in the head an hour earlier.

Ludwig was a graduate of Wall High School and lived in Belmar, New Jersey, according to her LinkedIn profile. Metro Nashville Police announced her death in a tweet Thursday morning.

Belmont University President Greg Jones sent a campus-wide email Thursday upon learning the news.

"This is a lot for us all to process. We grapple now with grief, anger, anxiety and a strong sense of fear in the face of senseless violence," he wrote.

Jones reiterated a story from an author who wrote about grief.

"In closing, I would repeat the words spoken at our prayer service Wednesday, a lament from a man who lost his son and was wrestling with great grief: 'My wounds are an unanswered question. The wounds of humanity are an unanswered question,'" Jones wrote. "Today, we too must sit with the unanswered questions—I pray you will do so with others in this community and that together we can bring comfort to one another."

The Friends of the William Edmondson Homesite Park and Gardens, which oversees the maintenance of the park where Ludwig was shot, sent their condolences to her family and thanked police for quickly making an arrest Thursday.

"We recognize that there is no single, simple solution to the complex problem of rising gun violence," the statement said. "We call on all of our Metro and state elected officials to make an urgent priority of addressing this crisis with common-sense gun safety and criminal justice reform legislation that would promote safety in all of our communities."

Prosecutor: Suspect previously charged with aggravated assault

Shaquille Taylor, 29, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and evidence tampering after a confidential informant, video evidence and his own alleged confession linked him to the Tuesday shooting.

Police said Taylor appeared to be shooting at a nearby car when a stray bullet struck Ludwig.

Taylor was previously charged with aggravated assault in April, Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk said in a statement Wednesday. Three doctors ultimately found him to be incompetent to stand trial, and he also didn't meet the state standards for involuntary commitment, according to Funk.

To be involuntarily committed, a person must be found by two doctors to suffer from a severe mental illness that causes that person to be at substantial risk of serious harm to themselves or others. There must also be no other less restrictive measures than commitment.

"This nearly impossible standard impacts public safety. The law must be altered to accurately balance individual needs with public safety," Funk said in the statement. "At the same time Tennessee must provide more beds and staffing resources to handle dangerous individuals."

Taylor was released from custody in May.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell called for a renewed conversation about limiting gun access for people known to be a threat to the community.

"Today, I recommitted to our participation in Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and I look forward to working with both local and state leaders to make progress on this issue," O'Connell said in a Wednesday afternoon statement. "But we know that this risk will recur unless we act to close holes in our criminal legal process regarding both urgent mental health needs and firearms access."

Metro Nashville Police said they're working with Funk's office to pursue higher charges against Taylor now that Ludwig has died.