Kentucky State University shooting victim identified as student from Indianapolis
The Kentucky State University campus on Aug. 1, 2024, in Frankfort, Kentucky. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
FRANKFORT, Ky. - The Franklin County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim killed in Tuesday's shooting at a residence hall at Kentucky State University.
The suspect has been arrested, officials said.
RELATED: Kentucky State University shooting: 1 student killed, another injured
Dig deeper:
The deceased victim has been identified as 19-year-old Indianapolis resident and KSU student, De’Jon Darrell Fox, Jr.
The coroner said an autopsy was performed on Wednesday morning, and the final results will be available in 14 to 16 weeks.
Shooting reported at Kentucky State University, gov says
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced on social media Tuesday that officials are aware of a reported shooting at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, where there are "some injuries." A suspect has been arrested.
What they're saying:
"Mr. Fox was pronounced deceased at Frankfort Regional Medical Center at 4:33 p.m. Tuesday," Coroner William C. Harrod said in a statement to FOX Television Stations. "From a post-mortem examinations at the hospital, it appears Mr. Fox succumbed to the injuries sustained during the shooting."
Gov. Andy Beshear said in a video message posted on X that the shooting "appears to be an isolated incident" and that "there is no ongoing threat."
"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," he said.
University President Koffi C. Akakpo called it a "senseless tragedy."
"We’re mourning the loss of one of our students," he said during the news conference Tuesday evening. "As a parent I cannot imagine receiving the call I placed today to the parents."
The backstory:
The shooting happened around 3 p.m. and was an "isolated incident," Scott Tracy, assistant chief of police for Frankfort, said during a news conference Tuesday evening. Tracy said police swiftly responded to the shooting.
Frankfort police said Jacob Lee Bard was booked into jail on murder and first-degree assault charges in connection with the shooting.
Police said Bard is from Evansville, Indiana, which is about 150 miles (241.4 kilometers) west of Frankfort.
Bard was not listed in online county court records and jail records did not name an attorney for him. The public defender’s office and prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for information on who can comment on his behalf or whether he has an attorney.
One student who was shot at the residence hall, Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall, is in critical condition but is stable, according to the university.
Local perspective:
Video from WLKY-TV in Louisville showed multiple police vehicles outside a cluster of dormitories and crime scene tape in a courtyard at the school in Frankfort, the state’s capital city.
What's next:
Classes, final exams and campus activities at the university have been canceled for the rest of the week, according to the school. The fall term was scheduled to end Friday, according to the school website.
"Students may return home if they choose," the school said in a statement. "Additional guidance will be communicated as soon as possible."
Timeline:
The shooting was the second in four months in the same area of the university.
Someone fired multiple shots from a vehicle near the same residence hall on Aug. 17, 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.
Big picture view:
Kentucky State is a public historically Black university with about 2,200 students. Lawmakers authorized the school’s creation in 1886.
The school sits about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) east of the Capitol building.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from official statements and updates provided by local authorities and university leaders, including the Franklin County Coroner’s Office, Frankfort police, and Kentucky State University officials. This story was reported from Los Angeles.