The parents of a Belmont University student who was shot and killed earlier this month are speaking out against “the system” after the man who shot her was released from jail.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Jillian Ludwig, 18, was shot while walking along a track at Edgehill Community Memorial Gardens Park, not far from the private Christian school, Belmont University. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died overnight.
Nashville police arrested Shaquille Taylor, 29, after he allegedly shot at a car at a public housing unit across the street from the park, subsequently shooting Ludwig.
“My girl went out on a run in the middle of the afternoon in a park two blocks from campus,” Jillian’s mother, Jessica Ludwig, told NBC4 on November 13. “I mean it’s just unimaginable, and it could have been prevented.”
Following his arrest, the District Attorney’s Office indicated that three physicians said he was mentally incompetent to stand trial. Now, Taylor is out of jail since he cannot currently be prosecuted on murder charges.
“We are frustrated by this essentially loophole in the system that allows this to happen,” Jillian’s father, Matt Ludwig, said.
“If there is a determination that someone is mentally unwell, then there should be some way to handle that in a manner that won’t allow them to get back onto the street.
“I don’t know much about the man other than what everyone has heard about him and what has been made public. Our anger is with the system that allowed this to happen.”
Previous Video Coverage
Police previously said that Taylor and another man had been charged with shooting at a woman as she was driving with her two children earlier this year. Those charges were dismissed court-appointed doctors testified that Taylor was incompetent to stand trial.
Taylor was not hospitalized after the incident, according to Criminal Court Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton. He reportedly did not meet the criteria to be involuntarily committed under Tennessee state law.
READ MORE:
After Ludwig’s shooting and news of Taylor’s earlier release, Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk harshly criticized state law, saying the rules for involuntary commitment are a “nearly impossible standard.”
“The law must be altered to accurately balance individual needs with public safety,” Funk said in a statement calling on the Tennessee legislature to change the rules. “At the same time Tennessee must provide more beds and staffing resources to handle dangerous individuals.”
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell echoed Funk’s comments about beds and staffing resources, adding that the legislature should also begin “a renewed conversation about how we limit access to firearms for individuals we know are a threat to the community.”
Check back for updates.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo: Jillian and her parents/Handout via NBC4]
Additional reporting by KC Wildmoon
