A shooting at Kentucky State University leaves one student dead and another in critical condition: one person arrested

A shooting that occurred this Tuesday, December 9, on the campus of Kentucky State University left one student dead and another seriously injured, according to authorities. The incident, which took place during the final exam week, forced the university to decree a campus lockdown while the police responded to what they described as “an active shooter.”

The university spokesperson, Michael R. DeCourcy, confirmed that the deceased student and the injured person are students of the institution, and that the latter was in critical but stable condition. DeCourcy added that, according to preliminary information, the shooter was not a student of the university.

Frankfort police reported that the shooting occurred around 3:35 p.m. near Young Hall, a student residence on campus. Security forces, including the Frankfort Police Department, university police, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, secured the area and arrested a suspect, according to a Facebook post cited by The New York Times. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed the arrest and expressed on the social network X: “we grow for those affected”.

The campus of Kentucky State University, a historically Black institution founded in 1886, is home to more than 2,200 students and 450 faculty and staff members, and spans about 412 hectares, according to data from the university itself.

Following the shooting, the university remains under lockdown while authorities continue to gather information. A university spokesperson told The New York Times that they are still “in the process of gathering accurate and complete information” before issuing an official statement.

This event occurs a few months after another shooting recorded near the same student residence in August, where two people outside the university were injured, according to the police. In addition, the attack at Kentucky State University adds to a series of recent violent episodes at historically Black colleges and universities.

In October, five people were injured in a shooting near the Howard University campus in Washington D.C., although none of the victims were students, according to the police. The next day, at least one person died and six were injured during the homecoming weekend at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, according to police information gathered by The New York Times.

The authorities of Kentucky State University and the local police continue to investigate the events to clarify the circumstances of the shooting and the identity of the suspect, while the university community remains awaiting official information.