Fatal shooting at Virginia university investigated as act of terrorism, FBI says

Suspect who was convicted in 2016 for supporting Islamic State is dead after attack kills one and leaves two injured

Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox

The suspect who killed one person and injured two others at Old Dominion University on Thursday was identified by authorities as Mohamed Jalloh, a former member of the army national guard who pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State.

Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk field office, told reporters the suspect had attempted to commit an “act of terrorism” and shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire. He was subdued and killed by members of the university’s ROTC program in a university classroom, she said, praising them for demonstrating “extreme bravery and courage” and preventing further loss of life. (ROTC is a college-based program that allows students to train to become a US military officer while also earning a college degree.)

Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger identified ROTC instructor Lt Col Brandon Shah as the victim killed in the shooting.

“A devoted ROTC instructor, Lt. Col. Shah didn’t just lead a life of service to our country, he taught and led others to follow that path,” she wrote on social media.

Kash Patel, the FBI director, said the bureau was investigating the incident as an “act of terrorism”.

“Earlier today, an armed individual opened fire at Old Dominion University, leaving one person dead and two others wounded,” Patel said on social media. “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.

Evans did not provide further details on how the suspect died except to confirm the gunman was not shot. She said the ROTC students “rendered him no longer alive”, adding: “I don’t know how else to say it.”

In 2017, Jalloh was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was released from federal custody in December 2024.

At an earlier news conference Thursday afternoon, Garrett Shelton, the Old Dominion University police chief, said officers responded after receiving reports that people were being shot in one of the classrooms in the university’s business school building, Constant Hall.

After the university initially said there were two victims, Shelton said authorities learned that there was a third victim who brought themselves to a hospital.

He said all three victims are affiliated with the university. Shelton said authorities are “very early” in the investigation and have not yet determined the “full cause of death” of the shooter.

Within less than 10 minutes, the call came in, officers arrived and they determined the shooter was dead, the chief said.

Lt Col Jimmy Delongchamp, public information officer for the US army cadet command at Fort Knox, Kentucky, told the Associated Press that two people wounded are members of the army reserve officers’ training corps at ODU.

“We will continue to coordinate with the university and law enforcement agencies as they investigate the incident,” Delongchamp said in a brief telephone interview. “There’s still a lot more stuff we have to work out.”

According to Sentara Health, one patient remains in critical condition at at Sentara Norfolk General hospital.

Another person was treated and released from the Sentara Independence free-standing emergency department in Virginia Beach after arriving in a personal vehicle, Sentara Health said.

Within about an hour of the shooting, ODU declared that there was no longer a threat on the campus.

The public university in Norfolk canceled classes and suspended all operations on its main campus through Friday and urged people to avoid the area in and around Constant Hall while emergency officials continued to work. Counseling and food services will remain available.

In a message to the university community, the ODU president, Brian Hemphill, said the school faced a tragedy on campus. He expressed gratefulness for the swift emergency response and thoughts and prayers to those impacted.

“The safety of our campus community is my top priority,” Hemphill wrote. “We are deeply committed to safeguarding all Monarchs and ensuring a secure learning, living, and working environment at all times.”

Located in coastal Norfolk, Old Dominion University has about 24,000 students, 17,500 of them undergraduates.