A terrorist attack inside a university classroom. An ISIS-convicted gunman released from federal prison 15 months ago. A group of ROTC students who stopped him with their bare hands. The shooting at Old Dominion University on Thursday morning left one man dead, two wounded, and a country demanding answers about how Mohamed Bailor Jalloh was free to walk onto a Virginia campus.

What Happened Inside Constant Hall

The gunfire erupted shortly before 11 a.m. in an ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. The victim, Brandon A. Shah, an Army lieutenant colonel, was an ROTC instructor described by Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger as a devoted teacher who "didn't just lead a life of service to our country, he taught and led others to follow that path."

Just before 11 a.m., a former Virginia National Guardsman walked into a classroom in Constant Hall on the eastern edge of ODU's campus and asked if those in the room were in the Army. Then he opened fire.

Two other U.S. Army personnel were injured. The gunman, a former member of the Army National Guard who previously pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges, was also killed in the shooting.

ROTC Students Killed the Gunman

FBI Director Kash Patel was unambiguous about what stopped the attack from going further. "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," Patel said.

Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI's Norfolk field office, said Jalloh shouted "Allahu Akbar" and was subdued by students who "rendered him no longer alive." Evans confirmed investigators believe he carried only one weapon and no explosives.

Who Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Was

The FBI identified the shooter as 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Virginia National Guardsman who had pleaded guilty in October 2016 to attempting to provide material support to ISIS.

According to a 2016 FBI affidavit, Jalloh told a government informant he quit the Army National Guard after hearing lectures from radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. He wanted to commit a terrorist attack similar to the 2009 Fort Hood attack, where 13 people were killed. Jalloh was a naturalized U.S. citizen from Sierra Leone.

He was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The Bureau of Prisons said Jalloh was released from federal custody on December 23, 2024, under a federal provision — 3621(e) — that allows some inmates who have completed a substance abuse treatment program to be released early.

The Early Release That Made Thursday Possible

The BOP statement Friday placed direct blame on a bureaucratic standoff that predated Jalloh's release. "Previous BOP leadership had proposed updates to the list of offenses to be excluded from 3621(e) early release, to include terrorism-related offenses; however, due to collective bargaining obligations, efforts to update policies were stalled by the union," the bureau said. After President Trump signed an executive order excluding BOP from federal labor-management to enhance national security, Director William K. Marshall III in September 2025 canceled the collective bargaining agreement — nine months after Jalloh was already free.

Lt. Col. Brandon Shah: The Man Who Was Killed

Shah was a professor of military science and a department chair at Old Dominion's ROTC program. He was commended in 2023 for increasing enrollment in the ROTC program by nearly 50% — from 95 to nearly 140 students. He was killed in the classroom where he had spent years building that program.

ODU Campus Status

Old Dominion University closed Thursday and Friday. Counseling services ran from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday in Broderick Dining Commons for students and in Student Government Chambers at Webb Center for faculty and staff. Constant Hall remains closed as the FBI investigation continues.

Anyone with information can contact the FBI Norfolk field office at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov. A university counseling hotline is available at (757) 683-4401.