Ellie Claire Young, a 22-year-old female medical student, was fatally shot on October 19, 2024, in the parking lot of the visitor center at Shelby Farms Park near Memphis, Tennessee. Young was leaving a breast cancer walk and getting into her car around noon when another vehicle pulled up and the driver opened fire. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
The suspect in the shooting was identified as her 26-year-old ex-boyfriend, Jackson Hopper.
Investigators determined that Young and Hopper had recently ended their relationship. On the day of the shooting, Hopper allegedly followed Young's Jeep into the park. Witnesses reported seeing a man in a white vehicle, later identified as a Honda, as the shooter. After the shooting, Hopper fled the scene, leading to a multi-county police chase.
Law enforcement officers pursued Hopper for approximately 80 miles north of the crime scene. The chase ended in Dyer County after a tactical maneuver caused Hopper's vehicle to crash and overturn. He was then taken into custody. A 9mm handgun was recovered from the scene of the crash. Hopper faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. He also faces charges in other counties related to the police chase, including attempted first-degree murder of an officer and felony evading arrest. Hopper is being held without bond in Shelby County.
In the wake of her death, Ellie Claire Young's family filed a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against Jackson Hopper and his mother. The lawsuit alleges that Hopper's mother was aware of his alleged abusive behavior towards previous girlfriends but did not inform Young's family. The family contends that had they known, they would have sought a restraining order and taken other safety precautions. The lawsuit also seeks to prevent Hopper and his mother from spending funds from a recent property sale.
