Jacob Lee Bard, 48, has been charged with the murder of 19-year-old De’Jon Fox following a shooting at Kentucky State University which left another student critically injured
A parent of a Kentucky State University student has been charged with murder following the shooting on campus which killed one student and left another fighting for their life.
Jacob Lee Bard was arrested minutes after the shooting at 3.10pm on Tuesday. The 48-year-old was booked into jail on murder and first-degree assault charges, cops said.
The victim who died has been named as 19-year-old De’Jon Fox, of Indianapolis, reports Associated Press. A second student who was shot remains in critical condition, but his name has not been released. Police said in a statement that Bard was at the school’s campus in Frankfort, Kentucky on Tuesday, and fired shots at the victims at a residence hall.
Investigators said the shooting was isolated, but have not publicly shared details of the circumstances or a possible motive.
Bard is said to be from Evansville, Indiana, which is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) west of Frankfort. Bard is being represented by a public defender at the Franklin County Department of Public Advocacy. The department declined to talk about his case Wednesday.
University police officers were near the scene of the altercation that ended with the shooting, and immediately arrested Bard, police said. Investigators have watched video taken by others at the scene and surveillance footage.
Asked by reporters about alleged videos showing a fight involving Bard’s sons, Frankfort Assistant Police Chief Scott Tracy refused to say what may have led to the shooting. Police also refused to comment on whether Bard might have come to campus to talk to administrators about his sons’ safety.
Two of Bard’s sons play for the university’s baseball team, according to the Indianapolis Star via the New York Post.
Tracy said Wednesday: “It’s really too early in the investigation right now to really give any details that led up to it. A lot of it would be speculation.”
The shooting happened at Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall. It was the second shooting in four months near the student residence. Back in August, multiple shots were fired from a vehicle, striking two people that the university said weren’t students. Frankfort police said one victim was treated for minor injuries and a second sustained serious injuries. The dorm and at least one vehicle were damaged by gunfire.
University President Koffi C. Akakpo said the school brought in more police officers after the first shooting and will evaluate whether more needs to be done to keep students safe once the investigation into the latest shooting is complete.
Following the shooting on Tuesday, Governor Andy Beshear said: “Violence has no place in our commonwealth or country. Let’s please pray for the families affected and for our KSU students. Let’s also pray for a world where these things don’t happen. Thank you to our brave law enforcement who acted quickly to protect our people.”
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