In brief
Jacob Lee Bard, 48, has been charged with murder and first-degree assault after a shooting on the Kentucky State University campus. The incident occurred Tuesday night in a residence hall, resulting in the death of 19-year-old De’Jon Fox and serious injuries to another student.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A parent of a Kentucky State University student has been charged with murder in an on-campus shooting that killed one student and critically injured another. Jacob Lee Bard was at the school’s campus in Frankfort on Tuesday and fired shots at the victims at a residence hall, police said in a statement.Investigators mentioned that the shooting was an isolated incident, but specific details regarding the circumstances or potential motives remain undisclosed. The shooting claimed the life of 19-year-old De’Jon Fox from Indianapolis. A second student, whose name has not been released, is in critical condition.Bard, 48 years old, was taken into custody and booked on charges of murder and first-degree assault. He is a resident of Evansville, Indiana, approximately 150 miles (241 kilometers) west of Frankfort, and is currently being represented by a public defender from the Franklin County Department of Public Advocacy.University police were present at the scene during the altercation that culminated in the shooting, allowing them to arrest Bard promptly. Investigators are reviewing video footage captured during the incident.When asked about videos allegedly depicting a prior fight involving Bard’s sons or if he had come to discuss their safety with campus administrators, Frankfort Assistant Police Chief Scott Tracy refrained from divulging details regarding what may have prompted the shooting. “It’s really too early in the investigation right now to give any details that led up to it. A lot of it would be speculation,” Tracy stated.The shooting took place at Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall, marking the second shooting incident near the student residence in four months. In a previous incident on August 17, multiple shots were fired from a vehicle, injuring two individuals, who were not students, at the university.Following the first shooting, the university increased police presence for added security and indicated that further evaluations of safety measures would be conducted once the latest investigation concludes. Kentucky State University, founded in 1886 as a public historically Black institution, serves around 2,200 students and is located about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) east of the Capitol building in Frankfort.