A convicted ISIS supporter who served time in federal prison walked into a classroom at Old Dominion University on Thursday, asked if it was an ROTC class, and opened fire — killing a retired military officer and injuring two cadets before students tackled and killed him, authorities said.
The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism.
The gunman, identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 39, was a former Virginia National Guard member who pleaded guilty in 2017 to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group. He was released from prison in 2024.
When Jalloh entered the classroom in Constant Hall, the university’s business school building, he asked whether it was an ROTC class. After someone answered yes, he opened fire, law enforcement sources told CBS News.
The Victims
The person killed was identified as Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, the class instructor and a retired Army officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two ROTC cadets were wounded, one critically. All were shot inside the classroom.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll confirmed the victims were Army personnel. “I’m praying for them and all those impacted by this terrible event,” he posted on social media.
The Heroes
What happened next defied the usual trajectory of mass shootings.
Instead of fleeing, some of the ROTC students in the room — young men and women training to become military officers — rushed the gunman. They subdued him and rendered him “no longer alive,” FBI Special Agent Dominique Evans told reporters.
FBI Director Kash Patel praised their actions, saying they “undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement”.
University police chief Garrett Shelton said when officers arrived, they found the gunman already dead.
The Shooter’s History
Jalloh’s path to that classroom was paved with years of radicalization and a federal prison sentence.
In 2016, he was arrested for attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Prosecutors said he sought to emulate the 2009 Fort Hood attack, in which an Army psychiatrist killed 13 people at the Texas military base.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2017, serving approximately seven years before his release in 2024.
According to Evans, Jalloh shouted “Allahu Akbar” — an Arabic phrase meaning “God is greater” — before opening fire. That detail, combined with his prior conviction, led the FBI to investigate the shooting as terrorism.
Notably, Evans said there was no mention of the ongoing war with Iran in the investigation — suggesting Jalloh’s motivation was rooted in his long-standing extremist ideology rather than current events.
The Context
The shooting came hours before another incident in Michigan, where a vehicle rammed into a synagogue and school. All children and staff were safely evacuated; one security guard was injured but is expected to recover, authorities said.
There is no indication that the two incidents are connected.
What Comes Next
The FBI’s investigation is ongoing. Authorities are examining Jalloh’s movements, communications, and potential connections in the months since his release from prison.
For the ODU community, the attack is a brutal reminder that terrorism can strike anywhere — even a business school classroom where young cadets were learning to serve their country.
For the families of Lt. Col. Shah and the injured cadets, the loss is personal. And for the ROTC students who subdued a killer with their bare hands, Thursday’s heroism will define the rest of their lives.
