Student killed in second shooting at Kentucky State University in four months | Kentucky
At least one student was killed and another seriously injured Tuesday in a shooting at a Kentucky State University residence hall, and a suspect who is not a student at the school was in custody, officials said.
This is the second shooting in four months in the same area of the university.
The suspect in Tuesday’s shooting is not a Kentucky State student, Frankfort Deputy Police Chief Scott Tracy said at a news conference. Tracy said police responded quickly to the shooting.
“Frankfurt police believe this is an isolated incident and there are currently no security concerns on campus,” he said.
Video from WLKY-TV in Louisville showed several police vehicles outside a cluster of dormitories and a crime scene recorded in a school yard in Frankfort, the state capital.
A student who was shot at the residence hall is in critical but stable condition, according to the university. The school is not immediately releasing students’ names.
“We are in close contact with families and providing all available support,” the school said in a statement, adding that counseling and support services were available.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a video message posted to X that the shooting “appears to be an isolated incident” and that “there is no ongoing threat.”
“Violence has no place in our Commonwealth or in our country. Let us pray for the families affected and for our KSU students. Let us also pray for a world where these things do not happen,” he said.
Classes, final exams and on-campus activities at the university have been canceled for the remainder of the week, according to the school. The fall term was scheduled to end Friday, according to the school’s website.
“Students can return home if they wish,” the school said in a statement. “Additional guidance will be communicated as soon as possible.”
University president Koffi C Akakpo called it a “senseless tragedy”.
“We are mourning the loss of one of our students,” he said during the press conference Tuesday evening. “As a parent, I can’t imagine receiving the appeal I made to parents today.”
On Aug. 17, someone fired multiple shots from a vehicle near the same residence hall, hitting two people who the university said were not students. Frankfurt police said one victim was treated for minor injuries and a second was seriously injured. The dormitory and at least one vehicle were damaged by gunfire.
Kentucky State is a historically black public university with approximately 2,200 students. Legislators authorized the school’s establishment in 1886.
The school is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the Capitol building.
