A Kentucky father is facing serious charges after allegedly shooting a college student at his son’s university, claiming he was acting out of concern for his son’s safety.

Jacob Bard, 48, has been charged with murder and first-degree assault following the incident. Bard has entered a plea of not guilty.

The incident occurred on December 9 at Kentucky State University’s Frankfort campus, where Bard had gone to assist his son. According to the Frankfort Police Department, Bard was there to ensure his son’s safety.

Bard’s son had reportedly been attacked on campus. Accompanied by his wife, Bard visited the university’s student affairs office to report the incident, as reported by the Lexington Herald-Leader, which referenced testimony from Bard’s attorney during a court hearing. Campus police escorted Bard and his wife to their son’s dormitory so they could help him move out.

Bard’s attorney, Mark Hall, stated that the family was “essentially attacked” during the process. Security footage and a social media video reportedly show a group of people running, with one individual wielding a baseball bat, before Bard opened fire outside the residence hall. The shooting injured two students, and tragically, 19-year-old De’Jon Fox lost his life.

The other student was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. He was reportedly stable as of Tuesday.

Bard was arrested and placed in the Franklin County Regional Jail. While his bond was initially set at $1 million, it was reduced to $100,000 on Tuesday.

It is unclear what led up to the alleged attack on Bard’s son and why a confrontation occurred just before the shooting. However, Frankfort police detective Laura Marco said there was “bad blood” between Bard’s son and a group of students.

“One [assault] has been stated to me multiple times, one specific instance,” she said, per local CBS affiliate WKYT. “There were other attempted incidents where he was not assaulted.”

Bard’s lawyer said his client was acting in self-defense. “Mr. Bard went to Kentucky State University with a purpose and that purpose was to remove his children from an unsafe environment,” Hall said.

The defendant had two sons who went to the school, with both of them on the baseball team, the Evansville Courier & Press reported. While a GoFundMe raised nearly $26,000 for Bard following his arrest, it was taken down because of the company’s policy against “fundraisers for the legal defense of someone charged with a violent crime.”

A GoFundMe was also posted for Fox — with this one not removed. It says his family and everyone who loved him were “devastated” by his death. It goes on: “His parents are now facing the kind of heartbreak no parent should ever have to endure, especially two weeks before Christmas — planning a funeral for their child and navigating a future without them.”