Old Dominion University ROTC Students Subdue and Kill Shooter Who Killed One, Wounded Two

A shooter opened fire in a classroom at Old Dominion University’s Constant Hall on March 12, 2026, leaving one person dead and two others wounded before students intervened and the attacker was found dead, with the FBI treating the incident as an act of terrorism.

Multiple outlets report that the assailant targeted an ROTC class, that members of the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps subdued him and “rendered him no longer alive,” and that the shooting prompted campus-wide emergency alerts and an all-clear about an hour later.

Associated Press News

Authorities described the scene as an active threat inside Constant Hall shortly before 11 a.m., and university operations were suspended for the rest of the day while counseling and support services were made available to the campus community.

Authorities identified the attacker as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former member of the Army National Guard who previously pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State and was sentenced to 11 years in prison; officials say he was released from federal custody in December 2024.

Reporting from federal and local outlets notes the 2016 undercover investigation, an arrest after an alleged firearm purchase, and court proceedings that led to his conviction and imprisonment before his 2024 release.

BBC

Several reports cite the Department of Justice and earlier court records about Jalloh’s past statements and intentions during the 2016 case.

Three people in the classroom were shot; two were taken by ambulance to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and one of those patients later died, while the other was reported in critical condition and a third victim self-transported to a Virginia Beach emergency department and was later released.

“One dead and two injured in Virginia university shooting One person has died and two others were injured at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, in a shooting that the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism”

BBC

Hospitals and university officials confirmed the casualties and the immediate medical response, and the university canceled classes and suspended campus operations through Friday while offering counseling and support at campus facilities.

Students and nearby high-school groups sheltering on campus were reported safe and accounted for after the all-clear.

Federal and local officials said the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism, praised the students who intervened, and mobilized law-enforcement resources; the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force was said to be fully engaged.

FBI Director Kash Patel credited a “group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him” for saving lives, and Dominique Evans, the FBI’s Norfolk special agent in charge, described the ROTC students’ actions as showing “extreme bravery and courage.”

FOX 2

There is a discrepancy in reporting about the attacker’s cause of death: Evans’ remarks to reporters included a confirmation that Jalloh “wasn’t shot,” while other outlets noted authorities had not yet fully determined the shooter’s cause of death.

Local leaders and the university responded with condolences, support services, and promises of assistance; ODU President Brian Hemphill called the incident a tragedy and thanked responders, Governor Abigail Spanberger said her administration was mobilizing state support, and officials identified the fallen instructor as Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah.

The campus was closed while authorities continued their investigation and counseling and food services were highlighted as available to students, faculty and staff.

FOX 7 Austin