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Belmont student Jillian Ludwig is honored at the park where the shooting occurred

The feelings of family, friends and supporters were visible and deep as they walked Saturday to the Nashville park where an 18-year-old Belmont University freshman was struck by a stray bullet in November and ultimately died.

Jillian Ludwig, 18, was hit by the gunshot that police said was not intended for her while on the trail at the William Edmondson Homesite Park & ​​Gardens in Edgehill Township near the Belmont campus, authorities said.

Jillian's parents, Jessica and Matt Ludwig, were visibly moved when a memorial plaque for the freshman was unveiled next to a tree planted in their daughter's honor following a program that included several speakers and songs in the park.

In a prayer at the dedication, Belmont President Greg Jones described Jillian Ludwig as “salt in a world of decay and your light in a world of darkness.” Ludwig, who graduated from high school in New Jersey, studied music business at Belmont University and was a musician herself.

Jessica Ludwig tearfully hugged a number of Belmont students as people arrived for the dedication. A number of students wore T-shirts that read “Justice for Jillian,” a reference to ongoing efforts to pass a law in Tennessee known as “Jillian's Law.”

The suspect accused of shooting Ludwig had previously been arrested several times and was classified by a court as mentally incompetent. Police said the suspect tried to shoot at a car.

The new legislation requires defendants to be committed to a psychiatric institution due to mental retardation and is prohibited from owning or possessing weapons.

“We've been trying to rally support throughout the Belmont community and the Nashville community in general to show support for Jillian's Law,” said Ludwig's roommate, Livia Mehalovich. “We did a few different events to collect a few signatures and did a few letter-writing events to write to some of the officials at the Capitol.

“These t-shirts are another part of us all coming together against the ban to move this law forward. … We hope to prevent further tragedies like this.”

“This is what we’re working on as a city,” said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.

The memorial and dedication served a dual purpose – to honor Ludwig's memory and to reclaim the neighborhood park as a safe destination.

According to Mark Schlicher, vice president of Friends of the William Edmondson Homesite, the park, which has a walking trail, playground and open space for exercise, is used by residents of the Edgehill community, which includes public housing, as well as students from Belmont and Vanderbilt Park & ​​Gardens.

“It is a place we intentionally created to welcome all members of this community,” Schlicher said.

The tree planted in Ludwig's honor is a bald cypress, which is considered a long-lived and legacy tree, Schlicher said.

The plaque now in the park reads: “This tree was planted in loving memory of a beautiful and kind daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, friend and Belmont University freshman who died in a tragic accident on November 7, 2023 and senseless shooting.” Ludwig’s full name is followed by a poem on the plaque.

The clergy concluded the dedication with a prayer walk and blessing through the park.

“It was really hard,” Belmont freshman and friend Brandon Carman said of the impact Ludwig’s death had on the school. “But I would say we're trying to make something good out of it, just by getting her name out there.

“The biggest thing I learned from Jill is that the greatest thing you can do for someone is to shower them with love. …At the end of the day, it's all about love. So I definitely learned that from Jill.”

Reach Andy Humbles at [email protected] or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AndyHumbles.

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