A quiet Tuesday afternoon at Kentucky State University (KSU) in Frankfort, Kentucky erupted into tragedy when a 19‑year-old student, Dejon Fox, was shot dead, and another student was left in critical condition. The alleged shooter, identified as 48‑year-old Jacob Lee Bard of Evansville, Indiana, was swiftly taken into custody — an arrest that has left the community reeling and seeking answers.
The violence struck in the south campus area, near Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall, around 3:10 p.m., when police received reports of an active aggressor. Within four minutes, officers arrived on the scene and secured the area. Bard — who, officials emphasized, is not a student of the university — was arrested without further incident.
Kentucky State University confirmed that two students were shot. Dejon Fox was pronounced dead at the scene, while the second student was rushed to hospital and remains “stable but critical,” receiving ongoing medical care. The school declined to name the second student “out of respect for families,” but assured students, faculty, and staff that counseling and support services have been made available.
At a press briefing, Frankfort Police Assistant Chief Scott Tracy described what he called an “isolated incident,” stressing that there is no ongoing threat to campus safety. Authorities have not yet publicly named a motive for the shooting.
The accused, Jacob Lee Bard, was charged with murder and first‑degree assault and booked into the Franklin County Regional Jail. Public records searched immediately after the arrest did not list an attorney — underscoring how early this case still is in the criminal-justice process.
In the aftermath, both the state’s governor and top university leaders appealed for calm and unity. Andy Beshear, in a social‑media statement, called for prayers and reminded residents that “violence has no place” in their commonwealth. Meanwhile, KSU President Koffi C. Akakpo called the tragedy “senseless,” invoking both grief and resolve — urging the campus community to support one another as they mourn.
Locked down immediately after the shooting, the campus has canceled all classes, exams, and activities for the week. Students have been offered the option to return home, and additional guidance will come through official university channels as the investigation continues.
In a rare moment of solidarity, friends, classmates, and community members have begun to share memories of Dejon Fox — remembering him not only as a student, but as part of the shared promise of a small historically Black college. In this grief‑tinged pause, KSU is left wrestling with heartbreak, unanswered questions, and the urgent task of restoring safety and trust.
