On the morning of March 12, 2026, the campus of Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Virginia, was shaken by a deadly shooting that law enforcement officials are now investigating as an act of terrorism. The gunman, identified as 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, entered a classroom in Constant Hall and opened fire, killing a retired military officer and injuring two members of the university’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). The swift and courageous response of ROTC students in the room brought the attack to a grim but decisive end, as they subdued and killed the assailant.
According to the FBI, Jalloh shouted “Allahu Akbar” before firing his weapon in the classroom, an act that immediately drew the attention of national authorities. Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the Norfolk FBI Field Office, confirmed at a press conference that “the brave ROTC members in that room subdued” Jalloh and “rendered him no longer alive.” As reported by Fox News and the New York Post, one of the students managed to stab Jalloh to death, effectively terminating the threat before more lives could be lost.
The victim who lost his life in the attack was identified by Virginia Representative Jen Kiggans as Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, a Virginia native and the Professor of Military Science with ODU’s ROTC program. The two wounded students, also members of the ROTC, were hospitalized and reported to be in stable condition, according to ODU Police Chief Garrett Shelton. University President Brian Hemphill expressed his gratitude for the “swift response of our police officers, emergency management personnel, and our partners at the City of Norfolk who promptly assisted the injured.”
The shooter’s background has drawn intense scrutiny in the wake of the attack. Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Sierra Leone, was a former member of the Virginia Army National Guard. His criminal history dates back to 2016, when he was arrested after attempting to procure weapons for a suspected ISIS-inspired attack in the United States and for trying to send money to support ISIS. The Department of Justice stated that, in 2017, Jalloh was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to ISIS and ISIL. He was released from prison in December 2024.
Federal officials have revealed more about Jalloh’s radicalization and connections to extremist groups. According to the DOJ and Fox News, Jalloh became a devoted follower of Anwar al-Awlaki, the slain leader of Al-Qaeda’s branch in the Arabian Peninsula, after leaving the National Guard. During a six-month stay in Africa, he met with ISIL members and discussed his desire to launch his own terror attack. In one meeting, observed by an FBI informant, Jalloh stated that he believed it was “100 percent the right thing” to plan an attack during Ramadan. Upon returning to the U.S., he attempted to obtain firearms in North Carolina and Northern Virginia. He eventually purchased an assault rifle at a dealership in Virginia, but the dealer rendered it inoperable before he left with it. Jalloh was arrested the day after this purchase.
The FBI’s investigation into the shooting is being led by its Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is working closely with local authorities. FBI Director Kash Patel took to social media to address the public, stating, “Earlier today, an armed individual opened fire at Old Dominion University, leaving one person dead and two others wounded. The shooter is now deceased thanks to a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him—actions that undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement.” Patel added, “The FBI is now investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism. Our Joint Terrorism Task Force is fully engaged, embedded with local authorities, and providing all resources necessary in the investigation. In the meantime, please pray for the victims, their families, and the ODU community.”
Dominique Evans urged anyone with information about Jalloh or the shooting to contact the FBI, stressing, “We remind the public that any detail—no matter how small—could be useful. A collection of those small details may help paint a complete picture.” The agency set up a dedicated tip line at fbi.gov/odushooting for this purpose.
Jalloh’s path to radicalization and his interactions with law enforcement prior to the attack have raised questions and concerns among both authorities and the public. According to the New York Post, Jalloh’s brother, Cherner, claimed that Jalloh had been “set up” by the FBI, asserting that the agency “used his love for those being oppressed against him by inciting him in all manners that they deemed fit.” Jalloh’s sister, Mariatu, also alleged manipulation, stating, “The government is taking statements and actions that had nothing to do with one another and putting them together to paint a certain picture… They’re connecting dots.”
Despite these family claims, the court record shows that at his sentencing, Jalloh renounced ISIS and expressed deep regret for his actions. In a statement obtained by CBS News, he said, “I’m very, very sorry for what I have done. I did not intend to cause any harm to anyone. And I want to say—every time I see any atrocities that ISIS commits, I am disgusted by it because I know this is not what I want to be a part of.”
The attack has prompted renewed debate about how individuals with terrorism-related convictions are monitored after their release. Jalloh’s early release from prison in December 2024, less than two years before the ODU shooting, has not gone unnoticed. The Department of Justice has not publicly commented on the reasons for his release, leaving some to question whether enough safeguards were in place to prevent such a tragedy.
For the ODU community, the events of March 12 have left a lasting mark. The university’s leadership has called for unity and resilience in the face of loss, and law enforcement agencies continue to comb through evidence and witness accounts to better understand the sequence of events and Jalloh’s motivations. As the investigation proceeds, the bravery of the ROTC students who confronted and stopped the attacker stands out as a testament to courage under pressure.
While the wounds—both physical and emotional—will take time to heal, the events at Old Dominion University have reignited national conversations about campus security, the threat of domestic terrorism, and the challenges of reintegrating individuals with extremist backgrounds into society. The story is still unfolding, but for now, the focus remains on supporting the victims, their families, and the broader ODU community as they recover from this harrowing ordeal.