Louisville man arrested after police find gun in his bag at Kentucky State
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- KSU police found an AR-style pistol in a man's bag and arrested him.
- Man charged with unlawful weapon possession on school property and booked, later not listed as an active inmate.
- University cites increased security after a prior campus shooting and grand jury decision.
A Louisville man was arrested Monday on Kentucky State University’s campus after police found an AR-style pistol in his bag, according to court documents.
Alonzo White, 19, is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon on school property. It was unclear Thursday morning if White was a Kentucky State student.
According to court documents, a university police officer was in the area of Thorobred Hall and saw an object that looked like a gun in White’s book bag. The officer searched the bag and saw the stock of the gun, took it out of the bag and confirmed it was an AR-type pistol.
“Thank you to our University police officers and our law enforcement partners for their work in helping bring this matter to a safe resolution,” KSU said in a statement on social media. “Kentucky State University remains steadfast in its responsibility to provide a secure environment where teaching, learning, research, and public service can continue without disruption.”
White was arrested and booked into the Franklin County Detention Center. Online records no longer list him as an inmate at the jail.
White’s next scheduled court appearance is a preliminary hearing in Franklin District Court on Tuesday, according to court records.
The arrest comes about three months after a man opened fire outside a dorm hall at the school while he and his wife were on campus to remove their sons from the school because of safety concerns. De’Jon Fox Jr., 19, was killed in the shooting, and the shooter, Jacob Bard, 48, of Evansville, In., was charged with murder and first-degree assault.
The case was dismissed Dec. 23, 2025, after a Franklin County grand jury declined to indict Bard on the charges. The decision meant the grand jury found no probable cause for the charges.
KSU officials previously said they would increase security on campus after the grand jury decision was announced. The university said Monday’s arrest reflects the increase in security, and campus safety remains the highest priority.
“Kentucky State University will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement and will take all appropriate action under University policy and applicable law,” KSU said in the statement. “When conduct raises serious safety concerns, the University will act swiftly, lawfully, and decisively.”
The university is also at risk of losing significant state funding, as Kentucky lawmakers want to bring major cuts to Kentucky State University. The proposed cuts would reduce the school to just 10 majors, cut enrollment and place major financial oversight in the hands of the state.
Lawmakers said they considered closing the school, which has been plagued by financial and accreditation problems in recent years, but are instead proposing these changes. The school is “in a state of financial exigency that needs to be remedied,” the bill says.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights, passed out of the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee Wednesday afternoon. It now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
