One student is dead and another is critically injured after a shooting Tuesday at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, according to police.
A suspect, identified as Jacob Lee Bard of Evansville, Indiana, is in custody. Police said he is not a student at the university. He has been booked on charges of murder and first-degree assault.
Preliminary information shows the shooting stemmed from a personal dispute and was not a random active shooter situation, an official briefed on the case told ABC News.
“This was not a mass shooting or a random incident based on what I’ve been told, and the suspected shooter is already in custody,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a video message. “That means that while this was scary, there is no ongoing threat and I believe our families are safe.”
The Frankfort Police Department said officers responded Tuesday afternoon to the school’s campus for an “active aggressor.” The shooting happened near Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall, a residence hall on the south side of campus.
Two Kentucky State University students were shot, authorities said. One later died, while the other was taken to a hospital in stable but critical condition, according to Frankfort police.
“At this time, there is no ongoing threat to the campus community,” the university said in a statement.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the university said it is working closely with local and state law enforcement.
All classes and campus activities have been canceled for the rest of the week. The campus is about 25 miles northwest of Lexington.
“Today, indeed, was a senseless tragedy,” Kentucky State University President Koffi Akakpo said during a Tuesday press briefing. “We’re mourning the loss of one of our students.”
Beshear urged people to pray for the victims and “for a world where these things don’t happen.”
“I’ll keep trying to build a Kentucky where we don’t see arguments ended in violence,” he said.
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
Leave a Comment