A father has been accused of shooting and killing a college student at Kentucky State University while helping his son move out of his dorm amid concerns for his safety.
Jacob Bard was visiting the Kentucky State University campus in Frankfort, Kentucky, to see his son on December 9 when the incident took place.
The son had been attacked on campus before the visit, so Bard and his wife went to the university’s office of student affairs to report the incident, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. Following the meeting, campus police escorted the parents to their son’s dorm so that they could help him move out.
During a court hearing on Tuesday, December 16, Bard’s lawyer, Mark Hall, said the parents were “essentially attacked.” Security footage and a video posted on social media showed people running toward the family, while one person was even holding a baseball bat. In response, Bard started shooting outside the residence hall and struck two students.
Student De’Jon Fox sustained severe injuries from the shooting and died at the age of 19. Meanwhile, the other student was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition and was reportedly stable as of December 16.
The Franklin Police Department confirmed in a news release that Bard was arrested following the incident and placed in the Franklin County Regional Jail. His bond was initially set at $1 million, though it was later reduced to $100,000.
It is not currently clear what led to the alleged attack on Bard’s son or why the family was threatened before the shooting. However, Frankfort police detective Laura Marco said there was “bad blood” between Bard’s son and a group of students involved in the incident.
“One [assault] has been stated to me multiple times, one specific instance,” Marco said, according to WKYT. “There were other attempted incidents where he was not assaulted.”
Meanwhile, Bard’s lawyer argued in court that his client was acting 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,” Hall said.
A GoFundMe page was posted in support of Bard and raised nearly $26,000 following his arrest, according to the Evansville Courier & Press. However, the online fundraiser was taken down due to the company’s policy against “fundraisers for the legal defense of someone charged with a violent crime.”
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has also been made for Fox’s family and has raised more than $4,000. After sharing the details of his death, the description noted that Fox’s “parents are now facing the kind of heartbreak no parent should ever have to endure, especially two weeks before Christmas — planning a funeral for their child and navigating a future without them.
“When tragedy hits without warning, even the strongest families need help carrying the weight,” the description continued. “This GoFundMe has been created with the family’s permission to support them through the immediate and unexpected financial burdens that come with losing a child.”
