One student dead, another injured after shooting on Kentucky State University campus
One student died and another was seriously injured in a shooting on the campus of Kentucky State University Tuesday afternoon.
The victims were taken to a local hospital, where one was pronounced dead and the other remains in critical condition Tuesday evening, Scott Tracy, assistant chief of the Frankfort Police Department, said at a news conference Tuesday night.
Jacob Lee Bard, 48, of Evansville, Ind., was arrested and charged with murder and first-degree assault. He was being held in the Franklin County Regional Jail Tuesday night.
He was taken into custody immediately following the shooting. Prior to the announcement of his arrest, Frankfort communications manager Blair Hecker told the Herald-Leader the suspect in custody was not a student at KSU, but declined to provide other details.
KSU confirmed the victims were students but has not released their identities or their conditions “out of respect for both students and their families.”
The university said the incident happened “in Whitney M. Young Hall, a residence hall on the south side of campus.”
Tracy said Frankfort police were called about the shooting at 3:10 p.m. and arrived at the scene by 3:14 p.m.
“By that time, KSU campus police had already taken swift action, bringing a suspect into custody,” he said.
The shooting was identified as “an isolated incident, and there are no active safety concerns on campus at this time,” Tracy said.
Gov. Andy Beshear said in a video shared to the social media platform X Tuesday night that “while this was scary, there is no ongoing threat.”
Beshear asked for prayers for KSU students and the families affected.
“Pray for a world where these things don’t happen,” he said. “And I’ll keep trying to build the Kentucky that we don’t see arguments ended in violence.”
Kentucky State University suspended all classes, final exams and other campus activities for the rest of the week and said students could go home if they wished.
“Today indeed was a senseless tragedy. We are mourning the loss of one of our students,” KSU President Koffi Akakpo said at the news conference Tuesday night. “As a parent, I cannot imagine receiving the call I placed today to the parents.
“Our students need prayers. Kentucky State University needs prayers.”
Anthony Jackson Jr., a senior at KSU, said in a post on Facebook that Tuesday was his last full day on campus as an undergraduate. He said he was sitting in his dorm room Tuesday afternoon, when a friend called and told him about the shooting.
“I stepped out of my room and looked out of the study room window, where I witnessed the worst,” Jackson wrote. “I can’t even bring to words but I saw. But, what I can tell you is we are among some HEROS. I watched students jump in and perform CPR, I watched students assist the victims to the EMS. Key word: STUDENTS. Our campus has suffered a great loss. We lost a classmate and a young scholar. As a scholar myself, at an HBCU we should be safe to walk around our own campus without feeling that our lives are at risk.”
The university said in a statement it was “in close contact with the families and are providing every available support to them.”
“Counseling and support services continue to be available for students, faculty, and staff who may be impacted by this event. We encourage anyone in need of assistance to contact the University’s counseling services,” the statement read.
The Frankfort Police Department said it responded to a report of “an active aggressor,” and the campus was “on lockdown until further notice,” police said in a social media post around 3:35 p.m.
“Frankfort Police Department, in partnership with KSU Campus Police and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office have secured the campus and have a suspect in custody,” police said.
A university spokesperson said the campus remained on lockdown at about 4:30 p.m.
Frankfort police said they are continuing to investigate and asked anyone with information to contact them.
This is the second time a shooting was reported on the campus in recent months. Two people were injured in August, when individuals in a car opened fire on a group near Young Hall. Neither of the victims was a student or employee of the university, officials said.
This story was originally published December 9, 2025 at 4:31 PM.
