A deadly Old Dominion University shooting in Norfolk, Virginia, has left one prominent ROTC instructor dead and two other U.S. Army members injured. The violent attack unfolded on Thursday morning inside a campus classroom. Federal authorities are officially investigating the tragedy as an act of terrorism. The suspected gunman, identified as 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was also killed at the scene after students bravely intervened.
The Old Dominion University shooting has deeply impacted the campus community and drawn national attention. Jalloh, a former Virginia Army National Guard member, had a well-documented history of extremism. He was previously convicted of attempting to provide material support to the ISIS terrorist organization and had only recently been released from federal prison. Law enforcement officials confirmed the shooter specifically targeted an ROTC classroom during the attack.
The Attack Inside Constant Hall
The shooting took place on Thursday morning inside Constant Hall, a prominent building on the Norfolk campus. The gunman entered an ROTC classroom and opened fire on the military personnel inside. During an evening press briefing, Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans confirmed that the shooter shouted “Allahu Akbar” immediately before executing the attack.
Despite the chaos, the violence was swiftly brought to an end by the people inside the room. According to federal officials, members of the university’s ROTC program sprang into action when the gunfire erupted. The students managed to subdue and ultimately kill the heavily armed gunman. FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the heroic intervention on the social media platform X, stating that the ROTC students “undoubtedly saved lives” by stopping the shooter before he could inflict further casualties. Because of the targeted nature of the violence and the suspect’s background, Patel confirmed that the FBI is classifying the fatal incident as an act of terrorism.
Remembering Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah
The deceased victim was identified as Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah, a highly respected Army lieutenant colonel. Virginia Representative Jen Kiggans officially named Shah as the victim who lost his life in the tragedy. A native of Virginia, Shah served as the Professor of Military Science and was the leading instructor for the university’s ROTC program.
State leaders quickly stepped forward to honor the fallen instructor’s legacy. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger released a statement characterizing Shah as a dedicated educator. She noted that he “not only lived a life of service to our nation but also inspired others to pursue that same path.”
In addition to the loss of Shah, two other individuals sustained injuries during the campus attack. U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll confirmed that both of the wounded victims are active U.S. Army members. Their current medical conditions have not been fully detailed, but they are receiving necessary medical care following the violent encounter.
The Gunman’s Background and ISIS Conviction
Investigators quickly identified the deceased shooter as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a resident of Sterling, Virginia. Jalloh was a naturalized United States citizen who originally emigrated from Sierra Leone. He had a complex history with the United States military, having served in the Virginia National Guard as a combat engineer. He was a member of the 276th Engineer Battalion, 91st Troop Command. He enlisted in April 2009 and exited the service with an honorable discharge in 2015, holding the rank of specialist.
During his earlier correspondence, Jalloh claimed he originally attended college at Old Dominion University and joined the National Guard out of a sense of gratitude. He previously wrote that he cherished the United States for saving his family and providing them with otherwise unattainable opportunities. He explicitly stated that he felt a strong desire to give back and safeguard the country.
However, his military career took a dark turn. The Department of Justice noted that Jalloh was eventually compelled to leave the military after radicalizing. He began listening to extreme lectures by the late Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi. Furthermore, Jalloh openly expressed admiration for a July 2015 domestic attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where a different shooter killed four Marines and a Navy sailor. He also admitted to contemplating a violent attack similar to the devastating November 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas, an event that resulted in 13 fatalities and 32 injuries.
A Federal Prison Sentence and Recent Release
Jalloh’s radicalization eventually led to severe legal consequences. In 2017, he was convicted in federal court for attempting to provide material assistance to ISIS. Prosecutors at the time highlighted his dangerous extremism, stating that by framing his murder plots in religious terms and suggesting that killing U.S. military personnel would lead to heaven, he demonstrated a strong commitment to the lethal ideology of the Islamic State.
Following his conviction, U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady—an appointee of former President George W. Bush—sentenced Jalloh to 11 years in federal prison. The judge also mandated five additional years of supervised release. Despite the lengthy sentence, Jalloh completed his primary incarceration period and was officially released from federal prison in December 2024. Just over a year later, he returned to the campus he once attended to carry out the deadly attack that ended his own life and the life of a dedicated military instructor.
