27-year-old Jackson Hopper pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of Ellie Claire Young.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Tennessee man was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing his ex-girlfriend in the parking lot of a breast cancer charity walk at Shelby Farms Park in 2024.

Jackson Hopper, 27, entered the plea April 15 in Shelby County Criminal Court, where he had faced a first-degree murder charge in the death of Ellie Claire Young, a 22-year-old medical student. The agreement reduced the charge to second-degree murder and avoided a July trial. Prosecutors said the deal was reached with Young’s family, who had been facing months of court hearings and the prospect of hearing evidence at trial.

The case began Oct. 19, 2024, during the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Shelby Farms Park. Young had gone to the event and returned to her Jeep Wrangler in the Visitor Center parking lot. Witnesses later told investigators that a white Honda CR-V pulled in behind her Jeep, blocking it. Authorities identified the driver as Hopper, Young’s former boyfriend. Investigators said Young and Hopper had recently broken up. Shelby County Judge Carlyn Addison addressed Young’s family during sentencing and said she accepted the plea so the family could begin to heal.

According to court records and law enforcement accounts, the attack unfolded quickly in the public parking lot while the event was still underway. License plate reader cameras at the park entrance showed Young’s Jeep entering Shelby Farms at 12:11 p.m., with Hopper’s SUV following seconds later. Deputies were called at 12:15 p.m. after gunfire was reported. Young was found on the ground near her Jeep with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics pronounced her dead at 12:36 p.m. Investigators recovered five 9mm shell casings and three live 9mm rounds at the scene.

Prosecutors said surveillance video showed Hopper firing at Young, leaving the area of her Jeep and then returning to fire again. Reports from the case said Young was shot six times. Family attorney Mark S. McDaniel Jr. said the plea spared relatives from having to sit through a trial that would have required them to hear detailed testimony and view crime scene evidence. Chief Prosecutor Monica Timmerman said no prison term could fully answer for Young’s death, but the resolution allowed the family to close the criminal case in Shelby County.

Young was studying at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and planned to become a doctor. Relatives described her as warm, driven and deeply committed to helping other people. She was at the park for a breast cancer awareness event, a gathering meant to raise money and support people facing illness. Her killing turned the public event into a crime scene and brought a large police response to one of the Memphis area’s best-known parks. The Visitor Center lot, normally a place for runners, walkers and families, became the center of a murder investigation.

Hopper fled after the shooting, authorities said. Officers later spotted his vehicle in Mason, Tennessee, and a pursuit stretched across county lines. Law enforcement officials said Hopper drove dangerously during the chase, including on the wrong side of a highway and toward oncoming traffic. Authorities also said he tried to run over a Tipton County constable who was placing stop sticks and later tried to run over a Dyer County deputy. The chase ended after his vehicle crashed. Video from the arrest later drew public attention, and several law enforcement agencies opened reviews of officers’ conduct during the arrest.

Although the Shelby County murder case ended with the 40-year sentence, Hopper still faces charges tied to the pursuit in other counties. Those charges include aggravated assault, evading arrest, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, speeding and assault on a first responder. The separate cases mean the legal process is not finished. Court action also continues in a civil case filed by Young’s family. The wrongful death lawsuit seeks $10 million in damages and punitive damages to be decided by a jury. The suit had been stayed while the criminal case moved forward.

Defense attorney Leslie Ballin said after the hearing that the case was tragic and that, after decades practicing law, such cases do not get easier. McDaniel asked that Young’s family be given privacy after the plea. The family’s grief was central in court, where the judge spoke directly to relatives and said she wanted them to be able to leave the building without returning for a murder trial. Hopper had previously rejected a plea offer in February and was set for trial before accepting the agreement in April.

The sentence sends Hopper to state prison for 40 years on the second-degree murder conviction. The next milestones are the remaining county cases from the chase and the renewed path of the wrongful death lawsuit now that the Shelby County criminal case has been resolved.

Author note: Last updated May 8, 2026.