The father of the man who allegedly gunned down Ole Miss student Ally Kostial is insisting on his son’s innocence, according to a new report.

Brandon Theesfeld, 22, of Texas, was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of 21-year-old Kostial. Theesfeld, also enrolled at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, was booked at the Lafayette County Detention Center.

But his father, Daniel Theesfeld, told local station WLBT that his son had no part in the horrific crime.

“I know my son is innocent,” Theesfeld told the station in a statement. “And I have reasons to believe that I can’t share anything now. But I would ask everybody to please give him the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.”

Theesfeld has since been suspended by Ole Miss, Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks said in a statement.

“I want to extend our deepest sympathies once again to Ally’s family, friends and all others who knew her or interacted with her on campus,” the Tuesday statement said. “Ally was an engaged member of our community with friends across our campus and a promising future. The university will support the Kostial family in every way we can during this traumatic time.”

Kostial, who was from St. Louis, Missouri, was discovered shot eight times Saturday morning near Sardis Lake, around 20 miles from the Ole Miss campus.

Few details have been released in her death, but authorities said that “it is apparent that foul play was involved.”

Kostial was taking summer courses at the university and teaching fitness classes at the time of her death.