A 26-year-old Tennessee man, Jackson Hopper, is facing a potential life sentence after being accused of murdering his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend, Ellie Young, a medical student who was participating in a charity walk for the American Cancer Society. Hopper was arrested on Sunday and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Young’s death.
Young, a student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, was attending the “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” event at a local park when the incident occurred. According to an affidavit, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call about a homicide at the Shelby Farms Visitor’s Center in Memphis around 12:19 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Upon arrival, first responders found Young near her Jeep Wrangler, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel at approximately 12:36 p.m. Witnesses reported seeing a white Honda CRV pull up behind Young’s Jeep, from which a white male fired two shots into the back of the Jeep. The suspect then fired at least one more shot at Young as she lay on the ground before fleeing the scene.
Investigators recovered five 9 mm shell casings and three live 9 mm rounds from the crime scene. License plate readers at the park entrance showed that Young arrived around 12:11 p.m., with the white Honda CRV following closely behind. A witness managed to photograph the CRV’s license plate during the incident, which authorities said matched the vehicle that followed Young into the parking lot.
Family members of the victim arrived at the scene shortly after police and informed investigators that Young had recently ended a relationship with Hopper. A BOLO (be on the lookout) was issued for the Honda CRV to multiple law enforcement agencies. The vehicle was later located and pursued by officers with the Mason, Tennessee, Police Department and deputies with the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office. The pursuit ended in Dyer County when the vehicle crashed, and Hopper was taken into custody.
A 9 mm handgun was recovered from the crash scene. Hopper was booked into the downtown Shelby County Jail where he is currently being held without bond. He pleaded not guilty to murder in court on Monday, according to court records. Hopper is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday for a bond review hearing. The sheriff’s office indicated that additional charges against Hopper may be forthcoming.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with Young’s funeral and memorial costs. The page describes Young as “a beautiful soul inside and out” who “dedicated her life towards serving others, and was well on her way to becoming an incredible physician.”