A shooting at Kentucky State University on December 9 left one student dead and another in critical condition, authorities reported. The incident unfolded around 3:10 PM near Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall, a dormitory on the south side of the 1,100-acre campus. Police described the event as an isolated altercation rather than a random act of violence.
Kentucky State University police responded swiftly to the initial gunfire, taking a suspect into custody within minutes. By the time officers from the Frankfort Police Department arrived four minutes after the first 911 call, the scene had been secured and no further threat remained. The campus, home to about 2,200 students, went into immediate lockdown as emergency crews transported the wounded to a nearby hospital.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased victim as De’Jon Darrell Fox Jr., a 19-year-old student from Indianapolis, Indiana. Fox succumbed to gunshot wounds at the hospital, with full autopsy results expected in 14 to 16 weeks. The second victim, also a university student whose identity has not been released, underwent airlift to a medical facility and remained in stable but critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon.
Frankfort police named the suspect as Jacob Lee Bard, 48, of Evansville, Indiana. Bard, the parent of a student at the university, faced preliminary charges of murder and first-degree assault after his arrest. According to the arrest citation, Bard engaged in a physical altercation on campus before firing a handgun at the two students.
Investigators emphasized that the shooting stemmed from a personal dispute and did not involve broader campus threats. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear addressed the incident in a statement on social media, noting, “This was not a mass shooting or a random incident based on what I’ve been told, and the suspected shooter is already in custody.” He added, “Violence has no place in our commonwealth or country. Let’s please pray for the families affected and for our KSU students.”
In response, university officials canceled all classes, final exams, and campus activities through the end of the week to support grieving students and staff. As a historically Black institution founded in 1886, Kentucky State University serves a diverse community of learners, many of whom seek refuge in higher education from everyday dangers. Witnesses described the chaos as shots echoed during finals week, turning a routine afternoon into profound sorrow.