Image Credit: Paul Chenoweth / CC & MNPD
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
It’s been a year since the murder of an 18-year-old Belmont University student and her family has now filed a $50 million lawsuit against multiple entities and individuals, some of whom have yet to be named.
The suit, filed in Davidson County Circuit Court on November 6th, seeks damages for pain and suffering, wrongful death, medical expenses and loss of future income, through a jury trial.
The wrongful death and conscious pain and suffering claim is being brought by Matthew and Jessica Ludwig as administrators of their daughter Jillian’s estate.
Residents of Manasquan, New Jersey, the couple is suing Belmont, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Metro Development and Housing Agency, Nashville Housing Authority (including an unknown security company working for the agency), the State of Tennessee, a yet to be identified Metro Police officer, as well as state counselors, and other entities, and the shooter himself.
The lawsuit states that Jillian’s death was the result of multiple failures on the part of the defendants.
Seven months prior to Jillian being shot while she exercised in a park close to the Belmont campus, her shooter – 30-year-old Shaquille Taylor – was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Despite having a history as a convicted felon, and a record of violent incidents dating back to 2015, not only was Taylor not in custody but he had access to a firearm which he allegedly used to target an individual in a moving vehicle. A bullet missed his intended victim, hitting Jillian instead.
Metro Nashville Housing Authority is accused of neglecting to properly train security staff about what to do when tenants unlawfully possess firearms on its property. Taylor lived in a Metro government apartment complex.
After being shot while jogging on the track at William Edmonson Homesite Park and Gardens in the Edgehill community Memorial Gardens Park, Jillian lay “bleeding and suffering” for over an hour in broad daylight before a passerby found her and alerted authorities. Six shell casings were found near her body.
The lawsuit makes the claim that Belmont was negligent in not notifying and warning students about potentially unsafe areas near the campus. Although the university had issued previous warnings about other less dangerous areas around the city, it made no mention of the park being unsafe to visit.
According to the suit, the family says Metro Police Department did not investigate the scene despite knowing that a shooting had taken place, thereby delaying Jillian’s chances of receiving lifesaving medical care.
The Ludwigs are also holding the state government and others responsible for Taylor being released from detention after they found him incompetent to stand trial but also not eligible for involuntary commitment to a mental health facility.
Taylor, who has been criminally charged a number of times for offenses that include robbery, theft of vehicle, possession of a handgun, and several assault charges, has in many cases been allowed to plead guilty to lesser charges.
Months before Jillian’s murder, Taylor was charged, along with another suspect, for allegedly shooting at a vehicle in which a woman and her two children were sitting. Found incompetent to stand trial, the charges were dismissed as state and federal law prohibit authorities from prosecuting individuals who are unable to understand their crimes or the legal process.
According to reports, Taylor functions at a kindergarten level and is diagnosed with an intellectual disability and language impairment due to a brain infection at birth.
Dr. Elizabeth Wood, one of the doctors being sued by the Ludwigs, was part of a team conducting the most recent mental evaluation of Taylor to see if he was competent to stand trial for the felony murder and tampering evidence charges related to Jillian’s death. That evaluation came to the same conclusion as in years past, that Taylor has a mental disability that prohibits him from being able to stand trial.
Whether that determination will be accepted is now in the hands of a Nashville judge. Taylor’s next scheduled court appearance is December 9th.
In the reports, doctors wrote that Taylor had limited or minimal understanding of the consequences of using firearms or of the reasons for his aggressive behavior. Along with his history of poor decisions and lack of impulse control, they deemed him a risk to himself and the community.
Since Jillian was shot, Taylor has undergone three evaluations, and thanks to a new law that the Tennessee General Assembly passed this year, he is now involuntarily committed to a mental hospital instead of being free to commit another crime.
Earlier this year, state lawmakers passed Jillian’s Law which went into effect in July. The law requires that some violent offenders receive treatment if deemed incompetent to stand trial and also outlaws the purchasing of firearms.
Additional Sources:
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
3 Responses
MAGA, get our asylums back for those like him.
Better yet get the hanging rope ready for people like him.
Hanging murderers, that are habitual criminals, is the humane thing to do for society and preventing more victims and families suffering and it is better for the heinous criminal too, ending their miserable delusions and evil ,hate filled lives. At the least, repeat offenders need to be off the streets permanently.