Inset left to right: De’Jon Darrell Fox Sr. and Chardnae Cleveland (Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Law enforcement vehicles park on the Kentucky State University campus after a shooting occurs on Dec. 9, 2025 (WBIR/YouTube).Â
The parents of the boy who died during a brawl and subsequent shooting at Kentucky State University earlier this month have been arrested in Indiana.
De’Jon Darrell Fox Sr., 38, and Chardnae Cleveland, 37, are both charged with felony intimidation, according to area news outlets including local Fox affiliate WDRB.
The charges stem from alleged posts on social media targeting the man who shot their son, though a grand jury declined to indict him this week.
Fox threatened 48-year-old Jacob Bard on social media with a post that read: “YOU DONTKNOW WHAT U TOOK FROM ME BUT YOU WILL FEEL THE SAME HURT I FEEL,” according to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by the TV station.
Another post under the profile name of “Capo Fatman Fox” reportedly said, “I want his son dead just like mine.”
And a since-deleted post read: “Might drive to Evansville today to see some vicelords!” according to court records, with authorities noting that the Vice Lords are a criminal street gang known for violence and organized crime.
On the afternoon of Dec. 9, Bard was on the Kentucky State University (KSU) campus in Frankfort to see his son. According to the Frankfort Police Department, he was there to make sure his child was safe.
Bard and his wife arrived at the school because their son had said he had been attacked by a group of people — some of them students — after he had reported a burglary, according to a recollection of events by Bard’s attorney, Jonathan Danks.
The parents spoke with university officials, but “became convinced that the university would not be able to maintain a safe environment for their son.”
They decided to move him out and bring him home.
However, as a campus police officer escorted them to their son’s dorm, they found a group waiting for them, with its numbers multiplying. Eventually, a mob of up to 30 people allegedly attacked Bard and his son, which led the father to open fire. He fatally shot one student, 19-year-old De’Jon Fox Jr., as well as another person who was taken to an area hospital in critical condition.
Bard pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and first-degree assault, alleging that he acted in self defense, and on Tuesday, a grand jury declined to indict him, citing a lack of evidence.
In comments to Law&Crime following this decision, Danks said his client received death threats following the shooting, which he suggested was the result of a lack of oversight by the university.
“Despite the many known identities of students and others involved in the vicious attack that day and the multiple armed attacks in the days prior, criminal charges have not been pursued against those individuals,” Danks wrote before the parents were charged. “The mother of the deceased student has openly called for the murder of Jacob’s son for revenge, requested the help of criminal gangs including the Vice Lords criminal gang.”
KSU said as part of a statement submitted to WDRB that it is cooperating with law enforcement as the investigation into the shooting continues.
“We remain centered on our students’ safety and well-being,” KSU President Koffi Akakpo, said. “The University is enhancing security measures and continuing internal reviews, while taking steps to help ensure our campus environment remains one where all can pursue their education safely. In accordance with University policies, when conduct within the University’s jurisdiction is found to violate our standards, appropriate action will be taken through established processes.”
