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A Tennessee man has been sentenced to 40 years behind bars following a harrowing incident in which he shot his former girlfriend multiple times in a public park. The tragic event unfolded at Shelby Farms Visitor Center in Memphis, amidst a bustling breast cancer fundraiser.
Jackson Hopper, the perpetrator, entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder. This plea was part of an agreement allowing him to avoid facing the more severe charge of first-degree murder. The decision was confirmed by a statement from Chief Prosecutor Monica Timmerman, shared with Oxygen.
The incident took place in October 2024, where Ellie Young, a 22-year-old woman, became the victim of this violent act. Details from the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office reveal that Young had recently ended her relationship with Hopper, reportedly due to physical abuse.
On that fateful day, surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts depicted a chilling scene. Young’s Jeep was parked in the lot when Hopper’s Honda pulled up, effectively blocking her exit. Hopper approached Young, and after a confrontation, he fired five shots at her before returning to his vehicle.
According to witnesses and surveillance footage, Young’s Jeep was parked when Hopper’s Honda blocked it, per the statement. Hopper confronted Young, according to the statement, then fired at her five times before walking back to his vehicle.
Except, according to the statement, he then “turned around, went back, and shot her a sixth time.” The medical examiner confirmed she was shot six times in the head.
Hopper then fled, triggering a multi-county police chase.
During the pursuit, Hopper called 911, acknowledged what he had done and asked for confirmation that Young was dead, per the statement. He then asked that police “back off” as he headed toward his father’s gravesite to surrender.
Hopper was apprehended after crashing his car, according to an affidavit obtained by Oxygen. In his car, police found a gun, two boxes of ammunition, a ski mask, black gloves, sunglasses, his phone, and pillows and blankets, according to the statement.
Hopper had initially rejected a plea deal, but one hour later, changed his mind, according to Action News 5.
“I only accept it so that now, you can begin to heal,” Judge Carlyn L. Addison told Young’s family in a video published by Action 5 News. “So that you can leave this building, never to return, so that maybe you get some rest and maybe you can continue to honor your loved one.”
Defense attorney Leslie Ballin did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Oxygen.
“After 49 years of practicing law, it never gets easy,” Ballin said after court proceedings, according to Action News 5. “Cases like this, it’s tragic, tragic, and if we could turn back the hands of time, this would be a case that you would want to turn back the hands of time on.”
Hopper is not eligible for parole, according to the statement, and still faces charges associated with the police chase.