Old Dominion University Shooting: ROTC Students Subdue Gunman with ISIS Ties, Raising Questions About Release Policies
NORFOLK, Virginia – A shooting at Old Dominion University (ODU) on Thursday left one ROTC instructor dead and two others injured, before the gunman was fatally subdued by ROTC students. The incident has ignited a debate over the early release of convicted terrorists and the vetting processes for firearm sales.
The shooter was identified as 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Sierra Leone. Jalloh had previously pleaded guilty in 2016 to providing material support to the Islamic State (ISIS) and was sentenced to 11 years in prison, with an additional five years of supervised release. He was released in December 2024 after completing a drug treatment program.
Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, the ROTC instructor killed in the attack, has been remembered by the university community as a dedicated leader.
The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism.
According to court documents, Jalloh acquired the .22-caliber handgun used in the shooting shortly before the attack. Kenya Chapman has been charged with making false statements in the sale of a firearm to a convicted felon, allegedly providing Jalloh with the weapon. Chapman was previously investigated in 2021 for multiple straw purchases of firearms, with three of those guns later recovered at crime scenes, including a homicide. Despite this history, the Department of Justice under the Biden administration opted for a warning letter instead of prosecution in 2021.
Jalloh’s path to radicalization began years before his arrest. The Department of Justice stated he was compelled to leave the U.S. military after becoming influenced by the online lectures of al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi, and expressed support for previous terrorist attacks. In a letter to the judge prior to his sentencing, Jalloh claimed to have rejected ISIS and expressed remorse for being “manipulated” by the organization.
Jalloh served in the Virginia National Guard from 2009 to 2015 as a combat engineer, receiving an honorable discharge.
The incident raises concerns about the criteria for early release programs, particularly for individuals convicted of terrorism-related offenses. Generally, inmates convicted of terrorism-related offenses aren’t eligible for early release programs. The circumstances surrounding Jalloh’s release are now under scrutiny.
The swift action of the ROTC students in subduing Jalloh is being hailed as heroic, preventing further casualties. The university community is grappling with the tragedy and mourning the loss of Lt. Col. Shah.
