LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The suspect in a fatal shooting last week at Kentucky State University was in court Tuesday afternoon, where new details were revealed in the investigation.

Jacob Bard, 48, of Evansville, Indiana, appeared in a Frankfort courtroom on charges of murder and assault, accused of shooting two students. De'Jon Darrell Fox Jr., 19, of Indianapolis, died, and the other student was listed in critical condition after the Dec. 9 shooting near M. Young Jr. Hall.

Answering questions from attorneys Tuesday, a Frankfort police detective told the court Bard and his wife were at KSU to move their two children out of a dorm over safety concerns.

The detective said Bard's son had called and said he'd been assaulted and there had been meetings with campus security. The detective said security was escorting the family into the building when another group attacked them, and it moved outside, which is where the shooting happened.

At the time of the shooting, Frankfort police said they were called to the KSU campus around 3:10 p.m. Dec. 9 on a reported shooting. Assistant Chief Scott Tracy said officers arrived on scene within a few minutes, and campus police had already taken Bard into custody. He was taken to the Franklin County Regional Jail, where he was booked on charges of murder and first-degree assault.

According to Bard's arrest citation, he was "involved in a physical altercation" on campus, during which he pulled out a gun and shot two students. Police said university officers were present at the scene of the shooting, and were able to diffuse the situation and get Bard into custody quickly.

Classes, final exams and campus activities at KSU were canceled after the shooting for the remainder of last week. According to the school website, the fall term was scheduled to end Friday, Dec. 12.

A not guilty plea was entered for Bard during his arraignment, where a judge set his bond at $1 million cash. The commonwealth had asked for a $500,000 bond.

Second shooting in 2025

The Dec. 9 shooting was the second in four months in the same area of the university.

Someone fired multiple shots from a vehicle near the same residence hall Aug. 17, hitting two people walking on campus that the university said weren't students. Frankfort police said one victim was treated for minor injuries and a second sustained serious injuries. The dorm and at least one vehicle were damaged by gunfire.

"Nothing was ever done, and it took one of our students to pass away for them to be like 'Oh, we have to do something now," McCullough said.

University President Koffi C. Akakpo said the school brought in more police officers after the first shooting on campus that happened in August. The school will evaluate whether more needs to be done to keep students safe once the investigation into the latest shooting is complete.

"The campus is a safe place," Akakpo said at a news conference.

Kentucky State is a public historically Black university with about 2,200 students. Lawmakers authorized the school's creation in 1886.

The school sits about 2 miles east of Kentucky's Capitol building in Frankfort. 

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