A 19-year-old student was killed and another critically injured in a shooting at Kentucky State University Tuesday, marking the second violent incident at the same residence hall in just four months.
De’Jon Darrell Fox, Jr., from Indianapolis, was pronounced dead at 4:33 p.m. at Frankfort Regional Medical Center after the shooting near Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall around 3 p.m., according to a statement from the university. A second student remains in “stable but critical condition,” campus officials confirmed.
Police have arrested 48-year-old Jacob Lee Bard of Evansville, Indiana — approximately 150 miles west of Frankfort — on murder and first-degree assault charges. Bard is not affiliated with the university, authorities said.
Campus Shuttered, Community Shaken
In response to the tragedy, Kentucky State University has canceled all classes, final exams, and campus activities for the remainder of the week. Students have been given the option to return home as the university community grapples with the violence that has disrupted the final days of the fall semester.
“We’re mourning the loss of one of our students. As a parent I cannot imagine receiving the call I placed today to the parents,” University President Koffi C. Akakpo stated during a somber press conference Tuesday evening.
Governor Andy Beshear characterized the incident as isolated, emphasizing there is no ongoing threat to the campus or surrounding area. “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,” the governor urged.
Post-mortem examinations revealed Fox “succumbed to the injuries sustained during the shooting,” according to the university’s statement.
Second Incident in Four Months
What makes Tuesday’s shooting particularly troubling? This marks the second violent incident at Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall since August.
On August 17, multiple shots were fired from a vehicle at the same residence hall, injuring two individuals who were not students. That earlier incident and Tuesday’s fatal shooting have raised serious questions about campus security at the historically Black university.
Kentucky State University, located about two miles east of the state Capitol building in Frankfort, serves approximately 2,200 students. The small, tight-knit campus community now faces the difficult task of healing from yet another act of violence.
University officials indicated in their statement that “additional guidance will be communicated as soon as possible” regarding the remainder of the academic term and support services for affected students and families.
As night fell on the quiet campus Tuesday, the weight of the day’s events hung heavy. For a university preparing for winter break celebrations, the community instead found itself planning a memorial — and wondering how such tragedy could strike twice in the same place.
