Grand jury declines to indict Jacob Bard in Kentucky State University shooting case

FRANKFORT, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A Franklin County grand jury has declined to indict Jacob Lee Bard in connection with the deadly shooting at Kentucky State University earlier this month, according to a statement released Tuesday by Bard’s attorneys.

In a press release issued by the defense, Bard’s legal team says the grand jury convened Tuesday and, after hearing evidence in the case, determined Bard acted in self-defense and declined to return any charges. The attorneys say the decision closes the criminal case.

The case stems from a shooting on KSU’s campus that happened December 9, when police say shots were fired during a confrontation outside a residence hall. One student, 19-year-old De’Jon Darrell Fox Jr., was killed, and another student was seriously injured but later stabilized.

As previously reported by ABC36 News Now, Jacob Bard, a 48-year-old Indiana man and the parent of a KSU student, was arrested shortly after the shooting and charged with murder and first-degree assault. Police said at the time that Bard admitted to firing the shots during a group altercation involving his son.

During a preliminary hearing earlier this month, investigators testified that video evidence and witness statements placed Bard at the scene with a gun. Defense attorneys argued Bard went to campus to retrieve his son after previous safety concerns and alleged that Bard and his family were confronted during the incident.

The grand jury’s decision means no criminal charges will move forward against Bard. No independent statement has yet been released by prosecutors or law enforcement regarding the grand jury’s finding.

Bard has been released from custody.

Commonwealth Attorney Larry Cleveland told ABC 36 News Now that he is not critical of the grand jury’s decision, and that jurors pored over evidence for three hours before reaching their decision.