Man who shot, killed Belmont University student enters plea, avoids felony murder charge

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The man who shot and killed a Belmont University student has entered a plea, avoiding a felony murder charge.

Shaquille Taylor shot and killed 18-year-old Jillian Ludwig while she was exercising in a park near Belmont’s campus in 2023. Investigators say Taylor shot at a car but missed, and that a stray bullet hit Ludwig.

Taylor was charged with multiple crimes, including felony murder, in which he pleaded not guilty.

Related: ‘We must now live with a life sentence, and so should he.’ Jillian Ludwig’s family said during court hearing

On the first day his trial was set to begin, Taylor entered a plea of guilty to a second-degree murder charge. He has been sentenced to 38 years in prison (35 for murder and three years for aggravated assault from a previous case).

The courtroom heard victim impact statements from Ludwig’s mother, father and friends.

This is a developing story as WSMV4 is working to learn more about what’s next for Taylor and his court proceedings.

More: Belmont shooting suspect Shaquille Taylor’s criminal history dates back to 2010

The case gained more notoriety when it was revealed that Taylor had been released from jail just months before the November 2023 shooting of Ludwig, because a judge found him incompetent to stand trial in another case.

A competency hearing was held for Taylor regarding a trial for Ludwig’s death, and in July 2025, a judge ruled Taylor was competent to stand trial for the college student’s death.

This case inspired a new law in Tennessee called “Jillian’s Law.” If someone is charged with a misdemeanor and found incompetent to stand trial, their charge would be considered “retired” after a year, but the new law changed that to two years.