Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Nashville Man Gets 38 Years for Killing Belmont Student With Stray Bullet

The plea closes a case tied to gaps in Tennessee’s rules on mentally incompetent defendants.

Overview

  • Shaquille Taylor received a 38-year sentence following Monday's plea to second-degree murder, with the deal also covering an aggravated-assault charge.
  • Police say he was firing at a car when a stray round struck Jillian Ludwig, 18, in the head as she jogged near Belmont University on Nov. 7, 2023.
  • Her parents called the punishment too short, with her mother saying he should spend the rest of his life in prison.
  • Taylor had been ruled incompetent in a prior shooting case and released without commitment, though a judge later found him competent in this case.
  • After the killing, lawmakers passed Jillian’s Law, which now requires involuntary commitment for defendants found incompetent to stand trial in felony or serious violent cases.