FRANKFORT, KY– A grand jury declined to indict Father of two Kentucky State University students Who was he? Accused of murder in Campus shooting As a result, one student was killed and another was seriously injured.
In a social media post after Tuesday’s hearing, defense attorney Scott Danks said the grand jury decided not to indict his client, Jacob Lee Bard, in the Dec. 9 shooting while he was out of jail. Bard’s lawyers said that between 20 and 30 people gathered to attack his son and his family, and that he was justified in shooting two people who were beating his son.
Following the grand jury’s decision, Kentucky officials said they “will cooperate with law enforcement and investigators as appropriate” and focus on the safety and well-being of students.
Bard’s lawyers say the family was moving their youngest son outside, with two armed campus police officers present, after the two sons were pulled from school due to “multiple incidents of gun violence” against them and other students in the days leading up to December 9, some of which was captured on security cameras.
When the family and an officer arrived at the entrance of the dormitory on the day of departure, a group of people wearing masks and hoods rushed out and began violently assaulting the family and others, including slamming the son’s head into the pavement, the lawyers said.
The younger son reported a robbery in his dorm room to campus police in October and received threats of violence afterward, the attorneys said.
The lawyers added that due to constant death threats, the children now reside in an undisclosed location.
“Jacob’s actions were fully justified under the law and were the only action that prevented his son’s death or serious injury,” the attorneys wrote.
Investigators said the shooting was isolated, but have not publicly released details of the circumstances or a possible motive. The shooting killed 19-year-old Dejon Fox of Indianapolis.
In a letter to the campus community, Kentucky State said the grand jury’s decision “does not diminish the pain our community continues to feel, nor does it change our priorities.”
“Our commitment remains centered on supporting our students and ensuring that KSU is a safe place to learn, live and work,” she said.
The shooting was the second in four months near the residence hall. Someone fired several shots from a car on Aug. 17, wounding two people who the university said were not students. Frankfurt police said one of the victims was treated for minor injuries, while the second suffered serious injuries. The residence and at least one vehicle were damaged as a result of the shooting.
Bard, 48, is from Evansville, Indiana, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) west of Frankfort, police said.
Kentucky State is a historically black public university with about 2,200 students. Legislators allowed the school to be established in 1886.