MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The man charged with shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend at Shelby Farms then leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase through West Tennessee remains behind bars without bond after his first court appearance.
Jackson Hopper is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Ellie Claire Young. He is facing additional charges in Tipton County as well, according to the sheriff there.
Shelby County court records show attorney Leslie Ballin has been retained to represent Hopper.
In a statement Monday, Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy's office said, "Due to the severity of this case, our office has requested that no bond be granted pending a hearing."
The statement went on to highlight the issue of domestic violence in the Mid-South. The Family Safety Center in Shelby County has a 24-hour domestic violence hotline available at 901-222-4400.
The Shelby County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) responded to the shooting just after noon on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in the parking lot of the Visitor Center at Shelby Farms. Deputies arrived to find Young shot several times, lying on the ground next to her Jeep. She died at the scene.
According to the court affidavit, witnesses saw Young parked in the lot when a white Honda CRV with a Kentucky temporary tag pulled up behind her Jeep. The witnesses told investigators a man got out of the CRV, fired two shots into the back of the Jeep. When Young got out of her vehicle, the witnesses said the man fired at least one more shot as she was lying on the ground, then took off in the CRV.
The affidavit said cameras at Shelby Farms showed the suspect vehicle, and a witness took a photo of the CRV parked behind the Jeep during the shooting.
A ‘Be on the Lookout’ (BOLO) was issued for the CRV and officers in Mason, Tennessee, later spotted it. The affidavit said the Mason officers were joined by Tipton County deputies, who began a chase with the suspect.
The Tipton County Sheriff said at one point in Covington, the driver tried to run over a Tipton County Constable while the Constable was deploying stop sticks.
The sheriff said the chase continued into Lauderdale and then Dyer County. The Tipton sheriff said in Dyer, the driver tried to run over another deputy before a Dyer County deputy crashed into him to stop him as he reportedly continued going the wrong way into oncoming traffic.
The Tipton sheriff said the suspect fought with deputies as he was arrested, and a gun was later found in the CRV. The driver, identified as Hopper, was taken for medical treatment.
Family members told investigators that Young experienced a recent breakup with Hopper.
