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| lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial | |
| ARTICLE VIEW: | |
| Grand jury declines to indict man in shooting that killed teen at | |
| Kentucky State University | |
| By Associated Press | |
| Updated: | |
| 5:44 PM EST, Wed December 24, 2025 | |
| Source: AP | |
| A grand jury has declined to indict the who was in an that killed one | |
| student and critically injured another. | |
| In a social media post after the Tuesday hearing, defense attorney | |
| Scott Danks said grand jurors decided not to indict his client, Jacob | |
| Lee Bard, for the December 9 shooting and he is out of jail. Bard’s | |
| attorneys have said that 20 to 30 people had gathered to attack his son | |
| and family, and that he was justified in shooting two people who were | |
| beating his son. | |
| After the grand jury decision, Kentucky State officials said they | |
| “will cooperate with law enforcement and investigators as | |
| appropriate” and are focused on student safety and well-being. | |
| Bard’s attorneys say the family was moving their younger son out, | |
| with two armed campus police officers present, after withdrawing both | |
| sons from school because of “multiple armed, violent” incidents | |
| against them and other students in the days leading up to December 9, | |
| some captured on security cameras. | |
| When the family and an officer reached the dormitory entrance on the | |
| move-out day, the group of people in masks and hoods rushed out and | |
| began violently assaulting the family and others, including beating the | |
| son’s head against the pavement, the attorneys said. | |
| In October, the younger son reported a burglary in his dorm room to | |
| campus police and received threats of violence afterward, the attorneys | |
| said. | |
| Because of continued death threats, the sons are now staying in an | |
| undisclosed location, the attorneys added. | |
| “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. | |
| Investigators have said the shooting was isolated, but they have not | |
| publicly shared details of the circumstances or a possible motive. The | |
| shooting killed 19-year-old De’Jon Fox of Indianapolis. | |
| In a message to the campus community, Kentucky State said the grand | |
| jury 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,” it said. | |
| The shooting was the second in four months near the residence hall. | |
| Someone fired multiple shots from a vehicle on August 17, striking two | |
| people who the university said weren’t students. Frankfort police | |
| said one victim was treated for minor injuries and the second sustained | |
| serious injuries. The dorm and at least one vehicle were damaged by | |
| gunfire. | |
| Police have said Bard, 48, is from Evansville, Indiana, which is about | |
| 150 miles (240 kilometers) west of Frankfort. He had also been charged | |
| with first-degree assault. | |
| Kentucky State is a public historically Black university with about | |
| 2,200 students. Lawmakers authorized the school’s creation in 1886. | |
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