Accused killer Jackson Hopper was back in a Shelby County courtroom Monday, the latest turn in a case that has gripped Memphis since last fall. Hopper, charged in the October shooting death of his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend Ellie Young at Shelby Farms Park, appeared briefly before a judge ahead of a hearing scheduled to start around 10 a.m. The killing has triggered multiple county investigations and kept the case in the headlines for months.
Hopper, 27, is charged with first-degree murder in Young’s death, according to WREG. Investigators allege he pulled a white Honda CR-V with Kentucky temporary tags in behind Young’s Jeep at the park, fired two rounds into her vehicle, then fired again after she got out. A handgun was recovered from his car at the time of his arrest, the station reported.
Alleged Shooting And High-Speed Pursuit
Witnesses and court documents say the gunfire erupted in the First Horizon Foundation Visitor Center parking lot just as volunteers were wrapping up a breast-cancer walk, according to Action News 5. Hopper then allegedly took off, sparking a multi-county chase that ended only after officers used a PIT maneuver on Highway 51.
Video from the crash scene shows deputies pulling Hopper from his overturned SUV and physically restraining him as he resisted, Action News 5 reported. Authorities in Tipton and Dyer counties have filed related charges tied to that pursuit.
Who Ellie Young Was
The victim, Ellie Claire Young, was a 22-year-old medical student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center who had been volunteering at the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides walk that day, according to People. In the days following the shooting, family members, classmates, and local leaders held vigils and shared tributes, describing Young as driven, compassionate, and deeply involved in her community.
Court Schedule And What Comes Next
A trial date has been set for February 9, 2026, according to a news release from the DA’s office, which also named Assistant District Attorney Monica Timmerman and Chief Prosecutor Lessie Rainey as the lead prosecutors on the case. Prosecutors told the court Monday they are ready to move forward…