Suspect identified as a 48-year-old from Indiana; motive remains unknown.
FRANKFORT, KY — One Kentucky State University student was killed and another wounded Tuesday afternoon in a shooting inside Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall, and a suspect who is not affiliated with the campus is in custody, authorities said. The incident triggered a lockdown as officers responded within minutes.
University leaders and police said the case appears to be an isolated act, not an ongoing threat, but it has rattled the historically Black campus during finals week. Officials identified the suspect as Jacob Lee Bard, 48, of Evansville, Ind. He faces murder and first-degree assault charges. The student who died was identified as 19-year-old De’Jon Darrell Fox Jr. of Indianapolis. The second student, initially listed as critical, was later described as stable. Classes, final exams and campus events are canceled for the remainder of the week as investigators process the scene and interview witnesses.
Police said the first 911 calls came shortly after 3 p.m. from the residence hall on KSU’s south campus. Frankfort officers and campus police arrived to an “active aggressor” report and cleared the building floor by floor while students sheltered in place. Officers detained a man outside the dorm minutes later and recovered a handgun at the scene, according to officials. “We responded in minutes and moved students to safety while securing the suspect,” Assistant Police Chief Scott Tracy said at an evening briefing. Students texted family from bathrooms and study lounges as the lockdown stretched into sunset. By early evening, police declared the immediate threat over.
Authorities identified the suspect as Jacob Lee Bard and said he is not enrolled or employed at the university. Police and university officials said Bard is the parent of a Kentucky State student and had been on campus earlier in the day. Investigators are reviewing surveillance video from Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall and nearby cameras, collecting shell casings and interviewing residents of the coed dorm. The shooting left Fox dead after he was rushed to a hospital, officials said. The second victim, also a student, underwent treatment for gunshot wounds and remained hospitalized Wednesday. Detectives have not announced a motive. It was not immediately clear whether the suspect had legal representation.
The shooting unfolded four months after gunfire was reported outside the same dorm, an incident that did not result in a death but led to stepped-up patrols and access controls. Kentucky State University enrolls about 2,200 students in Frankfort, roughly two miles from the Capitol. Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall houses first-year and upper-class students and sits near athletic fields and a student parking lot. During Tuesday’s lockdown, resident assistants corralled students away from hallways while campus alerts buzzed phones and classroom screens. Parents converged on the perimeter as cruisers blocked entrances along East Main Street and local agencies, including Kentucky State Police, joined the response.
Police booked Bard into the Franklin County Regional Jail on murder and first-degree assault counts. Formal charging documents are expected after prosecutors review reports and witness statements. As of Wednesday, no court date had been posted publicly, and investigators said more charges are possible once ballistics and video analysis are complete. The university said counselors remain on campus and that memorial plans for Fox will be shared after consultation with his family. Administrators will assess residence-hall security and building access protocols before students return. Officials said additional patrols will continue around dorms through the week, with a security briefing planned for staff and student leaders.
“We are mourning the loss of one of our students,” KSU President Koffi C. Akakpo said, offering condolences to both families and praising students who followed lockdown instructions. Gov. Andy Beshear called the violence “senseless” and said state agencies are assisting Frankfort police. Outside the dorm Wednesday morning, students left flowers near the main entry. A first-year student from Louisville said he huddled with five classmates in a laundry room as messages flashed to avoid windows. A resident assistant described hearing two sharp cracks “like metal on metal” before students began running toward stairwells.
By Wednesday afternoon, investigators had reopened most campus buildings, though Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall remained restricted as evidence technicians worked inside. The injured student was stable at a local hospital, police said. The next expected milestone is the suspect’s initial court appearance, with authorities set to provide another update once charging documents are filed and the medical examiner releases a final report on Fox’s death.
Author note: Last updated December 10, 2025.