Parents of Belmont student killed at park sue Metro, MNPD, Belmont University

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The parents of 18-year-old Jillian Ludwig have filed a lawsuit following the Belmont University student’s shooting death on Nov. 7, 2023.

Ludwig was killed by a stray bullet while exercising at the Edge Hill Community Memorial Gardens Park.

Shaquille Taylor is accused of firing the round from the nearby Metro Development and Housing Agency property where he lived.

According to the lawsuit, a series of failures lead to Jillian’s injuries and death. Her parents are suing Belmont University, Metro Nashville Government, an officer with the Metro Nashville Police Department, and the state of Tennessee, among other defendants.

The lawsuit claims Belmont University never warned Ludwig about the dangers of the park, even though it warned students about other, less dangerous neighborhoods.

A spokesperson for Belmont University released the following statement regarding the suit, “This is new information as we have not yet been served with this lawsuit and need time to review. What we can tell you is that our entire campus shares in the continued grief of Jillian’s death, and we have been and remain deeply committed to the safety of our students.”

The State of Tennessee, through employees of is Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, is accused of conducting conflicting competency evaluations of suspect Shaquille Taylor, resulting in his release from prison on violent charges months before Ludwig was shot.

The District Attorney’s Office said three doctors deemed him incompetent to stand trial, meaning he couldn’t be prosecuted and was let go.

“I don’t know much about the man other than what everyone has heard about him and what has been made public,” Matt Ludwig said. “Our anger is with the system that allowed this to happen.”

Jillian’s Law went into effect in July and is meant to find treatment for criminals deemed incompetent to stand trial. It also restricts them from buying a gun.

The lawsuit also accuses an officer with the Metro Nashville Police Department of failing to properly investigate after authorities were alerted to shots fired in the area. More than an hour went by before Ludwig was found bleeding in the park by a passerby.

It also claims that MNPD did not appropriately train officers on how to canvas crime scenes.

That delay resulted in a worsening of her condition, reduced her chances of survival and was one of the causes of her death, the lawsuit claims.

“Jillian lay bleeding at this location in the Edge Hill Community Memorial Gardens Park, in plain view, in broad day light, for over an hour before she was found by police and provided medical assistance,” the suit says.

The Metro Development and Housing Agency is accused of knowing suspect Shaquille Taylor was in illegal possession of a gun but continuing to allow him to live at the property, the suit claims. It also accuses MDHA of not properly training staff to take appropriate action in those circumstances. WSMV reached out to MDHA for comment.

The lawsuit asks for a jury to award the Ludwig family $50 million in damages.

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