An 18-year-old college student in the United States has died after being hit in the head by a stray bullet while walking on a trail near the Nashville campus. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, the incident took place on Tuesday. The student, identified as Jullian Ludwig, was walking on the track in Edgehill Community Memorial Gardens Park when she was struck in the head by the bullet.
According to ABC News, Ms Ludwig, a student at Belmont University in Nashville, was hospitalised in "extremely critical condition" following the incident. She died overnight, Nashville police announced. "The gunfire came from public housing across the street," the cops wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
According to the police department, Ms Ludwig was shot and immediately collapsed but wasn't found until about an hour later when someone passing by spotted her and called the police. She was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in "extremely critical condition".
A suspect, identified as 29-year-old Shaquille Taylor, is in custody in the shooting. He was shooting a car when the bullet hit the 18-year-old in the head as she walked in a park across the street, the police department said.
Mr Taylor was initially charged with aggravated assault and evidence tampering. However, in the wake of Ms Ludwig's death, police said that they are working with prosecutors on modifying charges against the suspect.
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For now, Mr Taylor is being held on a $280,000 bond for the charges. He is also facing a charge for failure to appear in court on Friday on charges related to a September carjacking, as per CNN.
The university's president described Ms Ludwig as a music lover and "avid runner" who enjoyed being outside. She was "known for her love of music" and was "often found at concerts, cheering on fellow musicians and using music as a way to connect with those around her," Belmont University President Greg Jones said in a statement.
"This is a lot for us all to process. We grapple now with grief, anger, anxiety and a strong sense of fear in the face of senseless violence," Mr Jones added.
