Student Shot Dead By Criminal Who Was Just Released Due To Mental Incompetence

(RepublicanReport.org) – A man who evaded aggravated assault charges earlier this year due to a loophole over his mental competence is now in custody for allegedly shooting a college student dead. The suspect has a lengthy rap sheet, but because he was deemed unfit to stand trial in the past, the judge had no choice but to set him free. Authorities haven’t determined the full extent of the charges they intend to pursue against him — or whether he’ll actually answer for any of them.

Shaquille Taylor, 29, might have already been behind bars if the justice system in Tennessee weren’t so broken. Instead, he was free to do as he pleased, which allegedly included obtaining access to a firearm and ending the life of Jillian Ludwig, 18. A Nashville Metropolitan Police Department press release noted that the young woman had been walking in a park across the street from the suspect when he opened fire on a nearby car. A stray bullet hit her in the head, and she was found by someone else in the park roughly six minutes later. She died in the hospital.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell recently shared his concerns with The Pamphleteer, which posted on X, formerly Twitter, over the bizarre loophole the state has created. He explained that, as the system currently stands, one assessment deems the suspect unfit for trial, but then another determines that they’re too well to commit to an institution. The offender goes free, all charges dropped, and authorities wait with their hands tied for the person to reoffend. He said that someone who’s been deemed mentally incompetent in the past could easily find even a murder charge dismissed in the same manner.

Taylor has an extensive rap sheet according to the Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, Criminal Court Clerk. He served time for assault in 2015, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2016, but the court dismissed three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in May. The suspect currently faces counts of aggravated assault and tampering with evidence, with more charges likely on the way.