One student was killed and another was seriously injured in a shooting Tuesday at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, according to school officials and police.
A suspect is in custody, according to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and local police.
Preliminary information indicates the shooting was caused by a personal dispute and was not a random active shooter situation, an official briefed on the situation told ABC News.
“This was not a mass shooting or a random incident from what I’ve been told, and the alleged shooter is now in custody,” Beshear said in a video message. “That means that while this was scary, there is no ongoing threat and I believe our families are safe.”
Authorities respond after a shooting at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky, on December 9, 2025.
WTVQ
The Frankfort Police Department said it responded to an incident on the school’s campus Tuesday afternoon “regarding an active offender.”
The shooting occurred near Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall, a residence hall on the south side of campus, according to the school.
Two students were shot in the incident, the school said. One has since died while the other was transported to a hospital in stable but critical condition, Frankfort police said.
“At this moment there is no ongoing threat to the university community,” the school said in a statement to students.
The investigation is ongoing. The university said it is working closely with local and state authorities.
The campus will be closed until further notice, police said.
Authorities respond after a shooting at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky, on December 9, 2025.
WTVQ
Beshear urged people to pray for those affected and “for a world where these things don’t happen.”
“I will continue to try to build a Kentucky where arguments do not end in violence,” he said.
The university is located approximately 25 miles northwest of Lexington.
