Family and friends remember Ellie Young, UTHSC student killed in Shelby Farms Park
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Ellie Young, 22, was the woman killed in Saturday’s Shelby Farms Park shooting.
Her ex-boyfriend Jackson Hopper is behind bars, charged in her death. According to his attorney Leslie Ballin, Hopper pleaded not-guilty to the first-degree murder charge he is facing in Shelby County.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said his office requested no bond in Hopper’s case while he waits for a hearing.
As Young’s family and friends process her death, they shared what they remember most about her.
“Ellie was kind, she was genuine, she was passionate, determined, and she was selfless,” said Danni Fewell, Young’s friend and sorority sister.
A family member said Young was the valedictorian of her graduating class at Halls High School, where she also spent a lot of time on the tennis court.
Young was recently pursuing her dreams of becoming a doctor, just like her older sister, at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. This was the dream she was pursuing before being killed Saturday at Shelby Farms Park.
UTHSC shared a statement, saying in part:
Fewell said Ellie always talked about wanting to become a doctor to make a difference.
“The joy she brought into every room was just contagious to everyone around her,” she said. “Her bright future as a doctor was something she looked forward to for as long as I knew her. She was determined to change the world.”
Young was killed right after she volunteered at an annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk.
Family and friends said Young’s death was sudden, but described her as a light among everyone.
“Ellie embodied everything that someone could ask for in a friend and more,” said Fewell. “Her smile was seen and her laugh was heard from over a mile away.”
Right now, Hopper is charged with murder in Shelby County.
He is also facing multiple charges in Tipton County, including reckless driving, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.
Charges may be forthcoming in Lauderdale County, as well.
There is a GoFundMe to help her family with funeral expenses.
Chi Omega, the Xi Zeta Chapter at the University of Tennessee at Martin, is holding a candlelight vigil Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The chapter released this statement regarding Young’s death:
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