A gunman with prior ISIS support convictions, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, opened fire in an ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, on March 12, 2026, killing retired Army Lt. Col. Brandon Shah and wounding two Army personnel before students subdued and killed him. The FBI is probing the attack as terrorism; no broader threat identified.
The incident occurred around 10:43 a.m. in a classroom in Constant Hall, part of the university's College of Business. The 36-year-old Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Sierra Leone and former Virginia National Guardsman honorably discharged in 2015 as a specialist, entered and asked if it was an ROTC class. Upon confirmation, he shouted 'Allahu Akbar' and opened fire, fatally shooting instructor Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, who died at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger identified Shah, who had served in the Army and taught others. Two other Army personnel/ROTC members were wounded—one in critical condition, another treated and released—with a third victim seeking care independently, per reports.
Students heroically intervened, subduing Jalloh with a knife and rendering him deceased by 10:50 a.m., before law enforcement arrived. FBI Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans praised them: "There were students in that room that subdued him, and rendered him no longer alive... they basically were able to terminate the threat." FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media that their actions, alongside law enforcement, saved lives.
Jalloh had a terrorism history: in 2016, he pleaded guilty to attempting to aid ISIS—including sending $500 to an undercover agent, praising the 2015 Chattanooga shooting, and inspired by the 2009 Fort Hood attack. He traveled to Africa, meeting an ISIS recruiter in Sierra Leone and attempting to join in Niger/Libya. Sentenced in 2017 to 11 years plus five years supervised release, he expressed regret to Judge Liam O'Grady: "I've made a lot of mistakes... this mistake of giving any support to... ISIS has been the most devastating one." Released early in December 2024, he was previously FBI-monitored.
No explosives found; Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot assured no ongoing threat. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll confirmed the victims' affiliations. Old Dominion University President Brian Hemphill canceled classes Friday, issuing an all-clear by noon. Students described chaos: alarms, panic, and running. The event preceded a separate attack on a Michigan synagogue by hours. U.S. Army Cadet Command expressed condolences.
