Kentucky State University Shooting Suspect Is Parent of Student: 'Senseless Act' By Nicole Acosta

The man suspected of killing one person and injuring another in a shooting on the Kentucky State University campus this week is the parent of a student, authorities said.

The Franklin Police Department alleged that Jacob Lee Bard fatally shot 19-year-old student De’Jon Darrell Fox Jr. in a residence hall on the south side of campus on Tuesday, Dec. 9, according to a press release. Another student — whose name is being withheld — was critically injured in the shooting and remains in intensive care at a local hospital, police said.

According to police, the shooting was an “isolated incident” between the trio and there were no safety concerns on campus or in the community at the time. Bard, of Evansville, Ind., was taken into custody by campus police that afternoon and later identified as a “parent of a student,” the release states. Details on what led up to the shooting have not been shared by police.

Bard is being held at the Franklin County Regional Jail on charges of first-degree murder and assault, police said. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf. According to online records reviewed by PEOPLE, he is 48 years old.

Fox’s loved ones remembered him as someone who had a playful nature and loved school, WLEX-TV reported. His grandma condemned gun violence, while his aunt said the loss was “not fair” to the family.

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“I hope this is a lesson for a lot of people,” the grandmother told the news station. “It’s like put the guns down. Let’s stop the violence. It’s a senseless act. Where are we gonna get with it? Besides more heartache.”

Loved ones have since launched a GoFundMe campaign to help Fox’s family with funeral expenses.

The historically Black university, which was chartered in 1886, has more than 2,200 students and 450 faculty and staff members, according to its website.