Crime
Painter shot and killed at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, suspect in custody
PASCAGOULA, Miss. — A fatal shooting at Ingalls Shipbuilding on Friday morning has left one person dead and prompted a massive law enforcement response, with police confirming that a suspect has been taken into custody.
According to the Pascagoula Police Department, officers were dispatched to the shipyard at approximately 7:32 a.m. on August 22, 2025, following reports of an active shooter.
Upon arrival, officers located a deceased individual, described as a painter employed at the facility.
An Ingalls Shipbuilding spokesperson confirmed that an active shooter situation occurred, issuing an immediate shelter-in-place order for all personnel while law enforcement secured the area. “
We are urging all personnel to shelter in place and to await further instructions. Law enforcement was promptly notified and is currently at the shipyard and responding to the situation,” the statement read.
By mid-morning, Pascagoula Police confirmed that a suspect had been taken into custody.
Authorities said multiple agencies responded to assist, and a significant law enforcement presence remains at the shipyard as the investigation continues.
Investigators later revealed that the shooting may be linked to a domestic-related incident. Police confirmed that the suspect’s wife was found deceased earlier Friday morning, with evidence suggesting she had been killed the previous night.
Authorities believe the shipyard shooting may be connected to that incident, noting that the victim killed at Ingalls had reportedly been in a relationship with the suspect’s wife.
The names of the deceased victims and the suspect are being withheld pending family notifications.
Officials stressed that this was an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the community.
The case remains under active investigation by Pascagoula Police, with assistance from multiple local and federal agencies.
Crime
Attorneys Argue Jacob Bard Actions in Deadly Kentucky State University Shooting Were Legally Justified
Attorneys representing Jacob Bard, the man accused in a deadly shooting at Kentucky State University, contend that his actions were legally justified and undertaken in defense of his family amid what they describe as a violent and uncontrolled situation on campus.
In a press release issued Monday afternoon, Bard’s legal team from the Indiana-based law firm Danks & Danks asserted that Bard “was completely justified under the law in his use of deadly force.”
Bard is accused of fatally shooting one Kentucky State University student and wounding another during an incident at a campus dormitory.
According to the attorneys’ statement, Bard traveled to Kentucky State University after his younger son reported being attacked on multiple occasions.
The release alleges that on Monday, December 8, a group of approximately 20 to 30 individuals gathered outside the son’s dormitory, some allegedly armed, and began beating on the door. Campus police were reportedly called to respond to the disturbance.
The following morning, Bard and his wife met with Kentucky State University police. While the attorneys stated that officers appeared sincere in their efforts, they claimed it was evident to the family that campus police were “ill-prepared to deal with the out-of-control and violent environment.”
The legal team further alleges that both the university and its police department failed to adequately address what they described as multiple armed and violent felonies against Bard’s sons, ages 18 and 19, as well as other students in the days preceding the shooting.
Those alleged incidents included burglaries and armed assaults.
Later that morning, the family attended a meeting at Young Hall with campus police and a university dean.
According to the release, the meeting left the family convinced that the university would not be able to maintain a safe environment, prompting them to begin removing the son’s belongings from the dormitory.
When the family returned to the residence hall, the attorneys claim that individuals previously involved in the alleged assaults were present, despite assurances they would not be allowed inside.
The statement further alleges that those individuals photographed the family and made verbal threats.
The attorneys contend that, even with two armed Kentucky State University police officers present, a group of 20 to 30 individuals gathered in the dormitory lobby and “violently and viciously attacked” Bard’s son and family members.
According to the release, Bard’s son was slammed into the concrete floor and beaten by multiple people, and the officer on scene allegedly lost control of the situation.
“In the chaos,” the attorneys wrote, Bard attempted to pull attackers off his son but was struck himself. Believing his son to be in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, Bard then drew his firearm and shot two individuals whom the attorneys say were actively assaulting his son.
The legal team also stated that no charges have been filed against others allegedly involved in the confrontation and claimed the Bard family has continued to receive death threats.
The release further alleges that the mother of the deceased student has publicly called for retaliation against Bard’s son and sought assistance from criminal groups—claims that have not been independently verified by authorities.
The case against Bard was presented to a grand jury on December 16.
During a previous court hearing, a detective testified that at least one video reviewed by investigators did not show the shooting victims assaulting Bard’s son.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not issued a final determination regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting.