A grand jury has declined to indict a man charged in a shooting at Kentucky State University that left one student dead and another critically injured, according to statements released following the panel’s decision, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Defense attorney Scott Danks said in a social media post after Tuesday’s grand jury hearing that jurors chose not to indict his client, Jacob Lee Bard, in connection with the Dec. 9 shooting on the university’s campus.
Danks said Bard was released from jail following the decision.
GRAND JURY DECLINES TO INDICT FATHER WHO SHOT ATTACKERS BEATING HIS SON’S HEAD INTO PAVEMENT
He did what any father would do.
A Kentucky grand jury declined to indict Jacob Lee Bard, 48, who was charged with murder after shooting two people during an attack on his family at… pic.twitter.com/WDjjwBktSj [2]
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 26, 2025 [3]
Bard, 48, of Evansville, had been charged with murder and first-degree assault after the incident, which occurred near a residence hall at Kentucky State University in Frankfort.
In earlier statements to news outlets, Bard’s attorneys said the shooting occurred as Bard was helping move his two sons, both students at Kentucky State, out of campus housing.
The attorneys said the family decided to withdraw both sons from the university following what they described as “multiple armed, violent” incidents involving the sons and other students in the days leading up to Dec. 9, some of which they said were captured on security cameras.
According to the defense, Bard and his family were accompanied by two armed campus police officers while moving their younger son out of the dormitory.
The attorneys said that as the family and one officer reached the dormitory entrance, a group of 20 to 30 individuals wearing masks and hoods rushed out and began violently assaulting the family and others.
The attorneys said Bard’s son was beaten, including having his head struck against the pavement. They argued that Bard fired his weapon in defense of his son, stating that his actions were legally justified.
“Jacob’s actions were absolutely justified under the law, and were the only measure that prevented his son’s death or serious injury,” the attorneys wrote.
The shooting killed De’Jon Fox, a 19-year-old student from Indianapolis.
A second person was critically injured. Investigators have said the shooting was an isolated incident, though they have not publicly released detailed information about the circumstances or a specific motive.
A parent 48-year-old Jacob Lee Bard fatally shot and killed Kentucky State University student 19-year-old De’Jon Darrell Fox Jr. and critically injured another on campus. pic.twitter.com/UjdVyaDeaR [4]
— Truth_Hurts (@Wtm59261982) December 12, 2025 [5]
Defense attorneys also said that in October, Bard’s younger son reported a burglary in his dorm room to campus police and later received threats of violence.
Because of what they described as continued death threats, the attorneys said Bard’s sons are now staying in an undisclosed location.
Following the grand jury’s decision, university officials said Kentucky State “will cooperate with law enforcement and investigators as appropriate” and emphasized that the school remains focused on student safety and well-being.
In a message to the campus community, the university said the decision “does not lessen the pain our community continues to feel, nor does it change our priorities.”
“Our commitment remains centered on supporting our students and ensuring Kentucky State University is a safe place to learn, live, and work,” the statement said.
The Dec. 9 shooting marked the second gun-related incident near the residence hall in four months. On Aug. 17, someone fired multiple shots from a vehicle near the same area, striking two people who university officials said were not students.
Frankfort Police Department said one victim suffered minor injuries while the other sustained serious injuries. That earlier incident also caused damage to a dormitory and at least one vehicle.
Kentucky State University is a public historically Black university with an enrollment of approximately 2,200 students. The institution was authorized by state lawmakers in 1886.