Fatal shooting at Virginia university is being investigated as an act of terrorism, FBI says
Originally Published: 12 MAR 26 11:41 ET
Updated: 12 MAR 26 17:30 ET
By Rebekah Riess, Holmes Lybrand, Hannah Rabinowitz, Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN
(CNN) — A fatal shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia is being investigated by the FBI as an act of terrorism, and sources tell CNN the suspect is a veteran who has served prison time for trying to aid ISIS.
The 36-year-old suspect, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, is a former Army National Guard member who served nearly seven years in prison after pleading guilty to trying to aid the Islamic militant group, according to multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the case.
The gunman opened fire inside a classroom of ROTC students, fatally shooting one person and injuring two others before a student stabbed him, the sources said.
All three were affiliated with the university, university police Chief Garrett Shelton said. Their identities have not been confirmed.
The assailant, later identified to CNN by sources as Jalloh, is dead, Shelton said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The shooting comes just days after two terror suspects were accused of tossing makeshift bombs at a protest outside the New York City mayor’s home Saturday in what authorities have described as an ISIS-inspired attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel praised a group of brave students who “stepped in and subdued (the shooter) – actions that undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement.”
The attack came during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan – a time of fasting and spiritual renewal for most Muslims. But Jalloh has previously commented that he believed Ramadan would be the ideal time to carry out an attack, according to court records.
In 2016, Jalloh tried to procure weapons to be used in what he believed would be an attack committed in the name of ISIS and also tried to donate money to the group, according to the Department of Justice.
Unbeknownst to Jalloh, he had been speaking to an FBI source. When discussing the timeline for a possible attack on US soil, Jalloh “expressed that it was better to plan an operation for Ramadan,” according to an affidavit from an FBI agent.
Jalloh pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2017. He was released from federal custody in December 2024.
Student’s ‘heart dropped’ at the sound of gunfire
The shooting at Constant Hall – the school’s main building for the College of Business – happened just days before a weeklong school break is scheduled to begin on Monday. After the shooting, the university canceled classes and operations on its main campus for the rest of Thursday and Friday.
“Our campus and our community have been truly shaken and forever impacted by this senseless act of violence, and we want to extend our thoughts and prayers to the families and the victims and those that were impacted by this act today,” university President Brian Hemphill said during Thursday’s news conference.
Police started to receive calls about the shooting at 10:43 a.m.; police officers arrived four minutes later; and by 10:50 a.m. “it was determined that the … assailant was deceased,” Shelton said.
An “all clear” was eventually given, the university said in online alerts. “There is no longer an active threat to the campus community,” the university said.
Old Dominion student Zachary Mulder had just left class in Constant Hall and was reading a book in a building across the way when a large group of people ran in “screaming ‘shooter’ and ‘gun’,” he said.
“My heart dropped. I didn’t really know what was going on. I just know I had to leave immediately,” Mulder told CNN affiliate WTKR. “It was pretty scary at that point, because I didn’t know really what was going on or how close the threat was.”
Two victims were taken to Norfolk General Hospital, Shelton said. Police later learned a third victim “took themselves to a hospital in Virginia Beach,” Shelton said.
Students, faculty and staff were being provided with lunch and counseling support after the shooting, an online message from Hemphill, the university president, said.
State support also was “being mobilized” to assist the university and Norfolk police, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said in a post on X. “I have spoken with university leadership. My administration remains in close contact with local emergency responders.”
Initially, the university had reported an “active threat” at Constant Hall on its website. “Follow Run-Hide-Fight protocols. Emergency personnel responding. Avoid area,” an emergency alert from the university read.
Old Dominion University is a public institution with around 24,000 students, according to the school. It is located in Norfolk, some 90 miles southeast of Richmond and a 200-mile drive southeast of Washington, DC.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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