The second day of competency hearings began Tuesday for 30‑year‑old Shaquille Taylor, accused of fatally shooting 18‑year‑old Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig during a jog in the Edgehill neighborhood in November 2023.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department says Taylor was firing at a car near the Edgehill MDHA housing complex when a bullet struck Ludwig. She was found about an hour after the shooting call and later died at a hospital.
Earlier that year, Taylor had faced charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors dropped those charges after three psychiatric evaluations deemed him incompetent to stand trial, and he was released without involuntary commitment.
In response, the Tennessee Legislature passed “Jillian’s Law,” which went into effect July 1, 2024. The law closes a legal gap by keeping individuals found incompetent to stand trial—and not severely impaired enough for involuntary commitment—under judicial oversight.
A further update to the law, House Bill 1177, will take effect July 1. It extends the duration misdemeanor charges can stay open from 11 months and 29 days to two years. It also ensures ongoing court-ordered treatment, mandates judicial review within two years, and requires submission of an outpatient treatment plan that prioritizes community safety.
