Jillian Ludwig, the college student struck by a stray bullet in Nashville, has died

An 18-year-old Tennessee college student who was struck by a stray bullet while walking near the Belmont University campus died Wednesday night, according to Metro Nashville police.

Jillian Ludwig, of New Jersey, was walking along a trail at a local park when she was shot in the head and critically wounded around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said. They arrested Shaquille Taylor, 29, after surveillance video and witness statements pointed to him as the shooter. The video showed Ludwig falling as Taylor fired at a nearby car, according to a police affidavit. A passerby discovered Ludwig, 18, on the ground about an hour later, and she was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

“Taylor was shooting at a car when a bullet hit Ludwig in the head as he walked down a trail in a park across the street.” police said on social media when he announced the arrest Wednesday.

The video showed Ludwig falling after being hit by a stray bullet as Taylor fired at a car, according to a police affidavit.

A passerby discovered Ludwig on the ground at approximately 3:30 pm. She was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she was initially listed in extremely critical condition, police said.

Before Ludwig’s death, Taylor was charged with aggravated assault and tampering with evidence and was being held on $280,000 bond. A public defender assigned to Taylor’s case did not return phone and email messages seeking comment.

Taylor has been criminally charged several times in the past. In 2021, Taylor was charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon after he and another man were accused of shooting a female driver while her two children were in the back seat. At least two rounds hit the vehicle. Earlier this year, a judge in Nashville dismissed those charges and Taylor was released after court-appointed doctors declared him incompetent to stand trial. Federal and state laws prohibit the prosecution of mentally incompetent defendants.

The May 19 court order explained that Taylor had developed pneumonia at birth, which led to a brain infection, and continues to function at a kindergarten level. Because Taylor also did not meet the criteria for involuntary commitment, the court had “reached the limit of its authority,” Criminal Court Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton wrote.

Four months later, Taylor was arrested in a grocery store parking lot driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck that had been stolen by two men wearing ski masks on Sept. 16, police said. He was charged with felony auto theft and released on $20,000 bond. A warrant was issued when he failed to appear in court Friday.

Wednesday, Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk issued a statement criticizing Tennessee’s law that sets rules for when a person can be committed involuntarily, calling it an “almost impossible standard.” State law requires at least two doctors to certify that the person suffers from a serious mental illness or developmental disability that places that person at substantial risk of serious harm to themselves or others. Doctors should also check that there are no less restrictive measures that could be taken.

“The law must be altered to precisely balance individual needs with public safety,” Funk said in a statement. “At the same time, Tennessee must provide more beds and staff resources to manage dangerous individuals.”

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell echoed those sentiments in a statement calling for “more beds for people experiencing mental health crises and a renewed conversation about how we limit access to guns fire for people we know are a threat to the community.”

Belmont University President Greg Jones sent an email to students and staff Wednesday morning announcing a prayer service for Ludwig. He described her as a major music company and bass player who “is often found at concerts, cheering on fellow musicians and using music as a way to connect with those around her.” She is also an avid runner who enjoys being outside, Jones wrote.

Students near campus spoke to CBS affiliate WTVF after the shooting.

“Devastation, honestly. I think we’re all very shocked,” graduate student Josie Montrose told the station.

“When you’re a student, especially a young student, you leave home for the first time and you want to feel safe,” her friend Annalee Tanner told the station.

Ludwig graduated from Wall High School in Monmouth County, New Jersey, CBS New York reported.

Ludwig is at least the second college student to be fatally struck by an apparent stray bullet in the span of a week. Georgia authorities are investigating death of Brianna Long, 21who was fatally struck by a bullet while working at a bar while finishing her shift.