FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A grand jury has declined to indict the father of two Kentucky State University students who was charged with murder in an on-campus shooting 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 Dec. 9 shooting and he is out of jail. In a previous statement sent to news outlets, 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 Dec. 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 Aug. 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.
FILE - Law enforcement responds to a shooting at Whitney Moore Young Jr. Hall on Kentucky State University's campus in Frankfort, Ky., Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Hannah Brown/The State Journal via AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A powerful winter storm swept across California on Wednesday, with heavy rains and gusty winds bringing mudslides and debris flows that has led to some water rescues and evacuation orders.
Forecasters said Southern California could see its wettest Christmas in years and warned about flash flooding and mudslides. Areas scorched by January’s wildfires were under evacuation warnings, and Los Angeles County officials said Tuesday they delivered about 380 evacuation orders to especially vulnerable homes.
San Bernardino County firefighters said Wednesday they rescued people trapped in their cars when mud and debris rushed down a road leading into Wrightwood, a mountain resort town in the San Gabriel Mountains about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles. It’s not immediately clear how many were rescued.
Firefighters were also going door to door to check on residents, and the area was under a shelter in place order, local officials said.
Debris and mud were seen cascading down a local road in a video posted by county fire officials. Another video showed fast-moving water rushing through the front porch of several homes.
The storm stranded Dillan Brown with his wife and 14-month-old daughter at a rented cabin in Wrightwood on Wednesday with almost no food and only enough diapers for about another day. By the morning, the roads leading off the mountain — and to a grocery store — were already blocked by rocks and debris, Brown said.
“I came across (a road) where there was a car sucked away by the water and realized we were trapped here,” Brown said.
A local resident learned of his situation and posted a call for help in a Facebook group. In less than an hour, neighbors showed up with more than enough supplies to ride out the storm -- bread, vegetables, milk, diapers and wipes, he said.
“I think we’re a little sad and upset that we’re not going to be home with our families,” Brown said, but the “kindness shown is definitely an overwhelming feeling.”
A 2024 wildfire left the region with a lot of ground without tree coverage, said Janice Quick, president of the Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce who has lived in the mountain town for 45 years.
“All this rain is bringing down a lot of debris and a lot of mud from the mountain area,” she said.
Residents around the burn scar zones from the Airport Fire in Orange County were also ordered to evacuate Wednesday morning.
Areas along the coast, including Malibu, were under flood warnings until Wednesday evening, local officials said. Much of the Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area were also under wind and flood advisories.
Early Wednesday, the Los Angeles Fire Department rescued a man trapped in a drainage tunnel in northwest LA that led down to a river. No injuries were reported, but the man is being evaluated.
Several roadways across the regions were closed due to flooding.
Conditions could worsen as multiple atmospheric rivers move across the state during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. The storm in Los Angeles was expected to strengthen into Wednesday afternoon before tapering off later in the evening.
James Dangerfield, an 84-year-old Altadena resident, said his family and neighbor helped place sandbags in his backyard earlier this week. His neighborhood was under a flash flood warning as of Wednesday morning, but he wasn't too worried because his house is on a hill.
For now, he and his wife, Stephanie, planned on staying in the house and spending Christmas Eve with their two adult daughters and grandchildren.
“We’re just going to stay put and everybody will have to come to us. We’re not going to go anywhere," he said.
Mike Burdick, who takes care of his elderly parents in Altadena, said he ran out to buy more sandbags Wednesday morning when he saw that the pool was already overflowing. His parents live just a block under the Eaton Fire burn scars, he said.
“I literally woke up to just downpour,” he said.
The family was prepared to evacuate with a week’s worth of essentials for the family, including for their dog and cat. They’re planning to attend a nearby holiday party in the evening.
“We’re just going to make an appearance and get back safe to our animals,” he said.
Southern California typically gets half an inch to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 centimeters) of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters), and even more in the mountains, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said.
Forecasters also warned that heavy snow and gusts were expected to create “near white-out conditions” in parts of the Sierra Nevada and make it “nearly impossible” to travel through the mountain passes. As of Wednesday morning, there was also a “considerable” avalanche risk around Lake Tahoe, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.
The National Weather Service said a winter storm warning would be in effect for the Greater Tahoe Region until Friday morning.
More than 125,000 people lost power as of Wednesday morning due to a damaged power pole, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
California Highway Patrol was also investigating a seemingly weather-related fatal crash Wednesday morning south of Sacramento. The driver reportedly traveled at an unsafe speed, lost control of their vehicle on the wet roads and crashed into a metal power pole, CHP Officer Michael Harper said in an email.
San Francisco and Los Angeles airports reported some minor flight delays Wednesday morning.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday also declared state of emergency in six counties to allow state assistance in storm response.
Atmospheric rivers transport moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes in long, narrow bands of water vapor that form over an ocean and flow through the sky.
The storm has already caused damage in Northern California, where flash flooding led to water rescues and at least one death, authorities said.
The state has deployed emergency resources and first responders to several coastal and Southern California counties, and the California National Guard remains on standby.
Associated Press writers Sophie Austin in Sacramento and Jessica Hill in Las Vegas contributed to this report.
Miguel Lopez sweeps water from Marlene's Beachcomber on the Santa Monica pier Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)
Miguel Lopez sweeps water from Marlene's Beachcomber on the Santa Monica pier Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)
Miguel Lopez sweeps water from Marlene's Beachcomber on the Santa Monica pier Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)
Miguel Lopez sweeps water from Marlene's Beachcomber on the Santa Monica pier Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)
A tourist from China battles the rain on the Santa Monica pier Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)
People look toward traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge from the Golden Gate Overlook in San Francisco, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
A pedestrian carries an umbrella while walking on a path at Alamo Square Park, in San Francisco, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
