On Saturday, October 19th, 22-year-old Ellie Claire Young was attending a breast cancer charity walk in Memphis, Tennessee, when her ex-boyfriend allegedly shot and killed her for dumping him.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office explained in a Twitter post that officers responded to the parking lot located in the Shelby Farms Visitor’s Center at 12:15 in the afternoon after a call came in about a fatal shooting.
“An adult female was pronounced deceased on the scene by Memphis Fire Department paramedics. The suspect fled the scene by vehicle,” the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said in their social media statement.
Ellie was at the Shelby Farms Visitor’s Center to participate in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk that day.
She had been shot multiple times and was discovered on the ground close to where her Jeep Wrangler was parked, according to the affidavit of complaint.
Witnesses told authorities that Ellie was parked inside her Jeep, and then a white Honda CR-V pulled in right behind her car. A man who was later determined to be 26-year-old Jackson Hopper, Ellie’s ex-boyfriend, was driving the Honda.
He fired off two shots into the back part of Ellie’s jeep, and then Ellie got out of her car. It was then that witnesses saw Jackson fire at least one more shot at Ellie as she was lying on the ground.
Jackson got back into his Honda, fled the scene, and took officers on a high-speed chase that lasted for 80 miles and ended with him crashing his car.
In a GoFundMe page created for Ellie, Macey Daniel wrote, “A beautiful soul inside and out, Ellie dedicated her life towards serving others and was well on her way to becoming an incredible physician.”
“She was walking sunshine, and the world is now a darker place without her.”
Ellie’s obituary says that she was a medical student in her first year at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and that she graduated from her high school as the valedictorian.
Ellie wanted to be a doctor “to not only wield the wonders of modern medicine but also to provide patients with compassion and empathy when they needed it most.” Her obituary also states that she was kindhearted and selfless.
“Witnessing her first natural birth left her awestruck, noting in a personal essay that “the room was filled with a palpable sense of joy and wonder. I was deeply moved by the experience…becoming a physician will allow me to serve my community and make a tangible difference in the lives of those in need,” her obituary continues.
“To know her was to love her. Though her passing has affected many in the community, she wouldn’t want us to dwell on this pain. In a farewell to her Chi O sorority sisters, she wrote, “In the words of Winnie the Pooh, ‘How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.’ As I take this next step in my journey, I carry with me the love, lessons and laughter that life has given me. So, this isn’t just a goodbye, it’s a thank you. Thank you for the joy, the support, for being my home away from home.”
