One student is dead and another is in critical condition following a shooting at Kentucky State University on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
The university said in a statement that it is “actively managing” a campus incident that occurred earlier in the day in Whitney M. Young Hall, a residence hall on the south side of campus.
According to an update from the Frankfort Police Department shared on Facebook, officers responded to a report of an “active aggressor.” In a later press release, the City of Frankfort said dispatch received the call at about 3:10 p.m., and officers arrived at the scene four minutes later.
Nearly an hour after the initial call, officials confirmed that one person had died and another had been transported to the hospital in “stable but critical condition.”
In a second statement, the university said the surviving student is receiving medical care. Scott Tracy, Assistant Chief of Police at the Frankfort Police Department, said during a follow-up press conference that both students had suffered gunshot wounds.
“Out of respect for both students and their families, the University will not release identifying or additional medical information at this time. We are in close contact with the families and are providing every available support to them,” the statement continued.
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On Tuesday evening, the City of Frankfort announced that the Frankfort Police Department had identified the suspected shooter, who is in custody, as Jacob Lee Bard of Evansville, Indiana. He is not a Kentucky State University student.
Bard has been booked into Franklin County Regional Jail on charges of murder and first-degree assault. Online records list his age as 48.
The historically Black university, chartered in 1886, has more than 2,200 students and 450 faculty and staff members, according to its website.
Both the university and the police department emphasized in statements and at the press conference that there is no ongoing threat to the campus community and that they believe this was an isolated incident.
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“Campus Police, and local law enforcement are coordinating the response and ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff,” the university said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on X that his office is aware of the incident and that information will be shared as it becomes available.
“Let’s pray for all those affected,” Beshear added.
The university has suspended all classes, final exams and campus activities for the remainder of the week in response to the shooting.
