A 19-year-old student at Kentucky State University died from a gunshot wound, and police say the father of another student shot him. Frankfort police officers arrested 48-year-old Jacob Lee Bard, who faces charges of murder and first-degree assault. Bard’s attorney claims Bard and his wife went to campus on December 9, 2025, to help their son move out of his dorm. Their son allegedly had issues with other students and felt unsafe living in the dorm. Relatives of De’Jon Fox Jr. called his death “senseless” and wonder how they’ll live without him.
Per a release from the Frankfort Police Department, the shooting occurred just after 3 p.m. Police arrived on the scene near Whitney M. Young Hall. Bard allegedly opened fire, hitting Fox and a second unidentified victim who survived. Police promptly arrested Bard and initially placed him in jail on a $1 million bond.
Detective Laura Marco from the Frankfort Police Department testified in court that there was “bad blood” between Bard’s son and a group of other students, according to WKYT. “One [assault] has been stated to me multiple times, one specific instance. There were other attempted incidents where he was not assaulted,” Marco explained.
Marco testified that security video footage from earlier in the day showed Bard’s son in a physical altercation with two students, according to the outlet. They were not the students injured in the shooting.
Fox 56 reported that Marco spoke of an attack. “So, he walked up there, opened the door,” she said. “When he opened the door, that was when both sides clashed and came outside onto the sidewalk. There were multiple people attacking other multiple people, and then, you know, a gun went off twice.”
Bard’s lawyer, Mark Hall, claimed his client acted in self-defense. “Mr. Bard went to Kentucky State University with a purpose and that purpose was to remove his children from an unsafe environment,” he explained.
The attorney asked for a reduction in his client’s “excessive bond,” and a court granted him leniency. If Bard posts 10%, he can bond out of jail.
The Lexington Herald Leader reported that KSU President Koffi Akakpo called the shooting a “senseless tragedy” and asked for prayers for the entire school community.
“As a parent, I cannot imagine receiving the call I placed today to the parents. Our students need prayers. Kentucky State University needs prayers,” Akakpo said.
Why anyone would bring a gun onto a college campus makes no sense. Even if Bard claims self-defense, these are young people. What a tragedy for everyone involved, especially so close to the holidays.
