NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In the year since Belmont freshman Jillian Ludwig was shot and killed near campus, many have been searching for the truth.
Her family believes some campus and city officials were negligent. Their arguments are outlined in a new $50 million lawsuit.
We looked at the lengthy lawsuit with our legal analyst, Nick Leonardo.
"She just had a bright future and the sky would've been the limit, and that's certainly what they're going to argue in this case," said Nick Leonardo.
The wrongful death lawsuit was filed one day before the first anniversary of her death, meeting the statute of limitations to file such a lawsuit.
On Nov. 7, 2023, Jillian Ludwig was killed in a park in Edgehill close to Belmont University. She was taking a walk when a stray bullet hit her in the head.
No one called 911 for an hour.
Her parents’ lawsuit accuses dozens of people of contributing to her death including the university, several Metro departments, the person who gave the suspect the gun, and the suspect himself, Shaquille Taylor.
Leonardo says the talented young musician's promising future helps the family's case.
“Clearly she was off to a great start. And so, you know, it's an unfortunate set of circumstances, but she's a good plaintiff to have in the wrongful death case,” Leonardo said.
Suing the Metro government will be difficult. State and local officials, including police, are protected from personal liability for damages in civil lawsuits. Of course, there are exceptions.
“The question is does that liability extend to the Metro Government, and it is a whole lot easier to sue the security companies who were maybe responsible for security at MDHA or security companies that may be responsible at Belmont University,” said Leonardo.
In court documents obtained by NewsChannel 5, we have learned after three evaluations following Jillian's death, doctors believe Shaquille Taylor has an untreatableintellectual disability that limits his understanding of consequences. He's been committed. This means he likely won't be prosecuted for Jillian's death.
Earlier this year, Jillian's family fought and changed state law specifically about people like Taylor, who was released after a previous shooting because of his mental competency. Now, anyone found incompetent must receive help, and not just be released back into society.
Taylor's next court date is scheduled for Dec. 9.
