Old Dominion University Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 2 Injured After Gunfire in Constant Hall

Old Dominion University canceled classes and suspended main-campus operations Thursday after a shooting inside Constant Hall left one victim dead, two others injured and the gunman dead, turning a morning active-shooter alert into one of the most serious campus emergencies in the school’s recent history.

The university first warned students and staff at 10:49 a.m. ET to run, hide or fight as police responded to reports of gunfire in the building. By 11:43 a.m. ET, the school said there was no longer an active threat, but the scene around Constant Hall remained closed as investigators and emergency crews continued working.

The latest official update confirmed that three victims were identified in the attack. One later died from their injuries, while the other two were reported in stable condition. The shooter also died.

What Happened at ODU on Thursday

The shooting unfolded inside Constant Hall, a major academic building on the Norfolk campus. Initial emergency messages described an active threat and directed people to shelter immediately while law enforcement moved into the area.

Students reported a chaotic scene as alarms sounded and people rushed to get out of the building or barricade themselves inside classrooms and offices. Emergency vehicles quickly surrounded the area, and the lockdown alert spread across the campus as well as through social media, where searches for “ODU active shooter,” “Constant Hall ODU” and “Old Dominion University shooting” surged within minutes.

Authorities later said the active threat had ended, but by then the university had already moved to shut down the rest of the day’s campus activity.

Victims Were Tied to the ROTC Program

Thursday afternoon, officials said the two surviving injured people were members of Old Dominion’s ROTC program. The university has a strong military connection because of its location in the Hampton Roads region, and that detail immediately raised the stakes of the investigation.

Officials have not publicly released the names of the dead or injured pending family notifications and further investigative steps. The circumstances of the shooter’s death have also not been fully detailed publicly.

That leaves several key questions unanswered, including whether the gunman had any formal connection to the university, whether the attack was targeted, and what investigators may determine about motive.

Campus Operations Are Halted Through Friday

Old Dominion initially canceled classes and operations for the remainder of Thursday, then extended that shutdown through Friday on the main campus as the university shifted its focus to safety, counseling and support services.

President Brian O. Hemphill called the shooting a tragedy for the campus community and praised the response of university police, Norfolk police and emergency personnel. The school said counseling resources and meal support would remain available as students, faculty and staff process what happened.

That decision reflects how disruptive the incident was, not only physically but emotionally. For many students, Thursday’s emergency alerts were the kind of messages every campus hopes never to send.

Where Old Dominion University Is Located

Old Dominion University is in Norfolk, Virginia, in the southeastern part of the state. The school serves roughly 24,000 students and sits in a region with a large military presence, including Naval Station Norfolk.

Constant Hall, where the shooting happened, is one of the university’s central academic buildings. Because of that location, the attack unfolded in a highly populated area of campus during the school day, intensifying fears as the emergency developed.

What Comes Next in the Investigation

Federal and local investigators are now working to reconstruct the timeline, identify the shooter’s movements and determine exactly how the attack unfolded inside the building. The next major updates are likely to focus on victim identities, the shooter’s background and whether the attack was specifically aimed at people connected to the ROTC program.

For now, the immediate question that drove searches throughout Virginia and beyond has been answered: the active shooter threat at ODU has ended. The larger questions about why it happened, and how the university community moves forward, are only beginning.