Jackson Hopper’s 40-year sentence resolved the killing of Ellie Claire Young in Shelby County.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Jackson Hopper’s guilty plea brought a 40-year prison sentence for killing Ellie Claire Young, but prosecutors in other Tennessee counties still have cases tied to the police chase that followed.
Hopper, 27, pleaded guilty April 15 to second-degree murder in Shelby County for the Oct. 19, 2024, shooting at Shelby Farms Park. The plea ended a murder case that had been set for trial in July. It did not resolve charges from the pursuit after he fled the park, including aggravated assault, evading arrest, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, speeding and assault on a first responder.
The pursuit began after deputies responded to the Visitor Center parking lot at Shelby Farms. Young, a 22-year-old medical student, had been attending the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. Authorities said she was found on the ground near her Jeep Wrangler with multiple gunshot wounds. The event was still underway when the shooting was reported at 12:15 p.m. Medics pronounced her dead at 12:36 p.m. By then, the shooter had left the park.
Investigators said Hopper did not arrive at the park by chance. Camera records showed Young’s Jeep entering Shelby Farms at 12:11 p.m. His white Honda CR-V followed seconds later. Witnesses said the Honda pulled in behind Young’s Jeep after she parked in the Visitor Center lot. The vehicle blocked her, and Hopper fired into the Jeep before firing at Young as she got out, according to the affidavit. Prosecutors later said video showed him turn away, then return and fire another shot.
The first stage of the case was contained inside Shelby County, where detectives gathered shell casings, reviewed video and built the murder charge. Deputies found five 9mm casings and three live 9mm rounds at the scene. Family members told investigators that Young and Hopper had recently broken up. Hopper was charged with first-degree murder, pleaded not guilty early in the case and was held without bond. He later rejected a plea offer in February before accepting the 40-year agreement in April.
The second stage moved across county lines. Law enforcement officials said Hopper’s vehicle was spotted in Mason, Tennessee, after the shooting. Officers and deputies began a chase that stretched into other jurisdictions. Authorities said Hopper drove on the wrong side of a highway into oncoming traffic. They also said he tried to run over a Tipton County constable placing stop sticks and attempted to run over a Dyer County officer. The chase ended when his vehicle crashed.
Those allegations created separate cases outside the murder prosecution. The chase-related charges are not minor add-ons to the Shelby County conviction. They are tied to claimed risks to officers, drivers and others on the road after Young was killed. Prosecutors in those counties may still seek convictions and sentences based on the pursuit. The timing of those cases was not resolved by Hopper’s April 15 plea, and court proceedings in each county can move on their own schedule.
The arrest after the crash also brought law enforcement conduct under review. Video showed officers around Hopper’s vehicle after it overturned, repeatedly ordering him to show his hands. Officials said the pursuit involved an armed suspect accused of murder and that officers and civilians had been placed at risk. At the same time, the footage led to questions about how officers handled the arrest. Agencies involved in the pursuit opened investigations, and local reports later said several officers were charged with official misconduct.
Inside the Shelby County courtroom, the focus returned to Young and her family. Judge Carlyn Addison accepted the plea and told relatives she wanted them to be able to leave the courthouse without returning for a murder trial. Chief Prosecutor Monica Timmerman said no sentence could bring justice equal to Young’s life, but the criminal resolution allowed her family to put that part of the case behind them. Family attorney Mark S. McDaniel Jr. said the agreement spared relatives from painful testimony and evidence.
Young’s life and the location of her death were central to the case’s impact. She was studying at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and hoped to become a physician. She was killed at a breast cancer walk, a setting built around care, survival and community support. The parking lot evidence, the park camera records and witness accounts gave prosecutors a timeline measured in minutes. The chase that followed stretched the same case across roads, highways and several law enforcement agencies.
Hopper’s guilty plea means the Shelby County murder case will not go before a jury. The legal record now states that he admitted second-degree murder and received the 40-year sentence. Defense attorney Leslie Ballin called the case tragic after the hearing. Young’s family also has a wrongful death lawsuit pending against Hopper and his mother, seeking $10 million and punitive damages. That civil case had been paused while the criminal matter proceeded.
The remaining criminal charges from the pursuit are the next public test of accountability beyond the murder sentence. Hopper is serving 40 years for killing Young, while courts in other counties still must address what authorities say happened after he drove away from Shelby Farms Park.
Author note: Last updated May 8, 2026.