On Thursday, a gunman with a prior terrorism conviction opened fire in a classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia, killing an instructor and injuring two others before being killed by students. Authorities confirmed the 36-year-old suspect, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, had been released from federal prison less than two years ago despite pleading guilty to attempting to aid the Islamic State group.
The FBI is leading the terrorism investigation into the attack inside Constant Hall. Jalloh reportedly entered the room, asked if it was a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps class, and shouted “Allahu akbar” before shooting the instructor, identified as retired military pilot Lt. Col. Brandon Shah.
The violence ended when ROTC students in the classroom confronted and subdued Jalloh. The FBI stated the students exhibited extreme bravery by killing the attacker during the struggle, noting that the suspect was not shot to death.
Investigating it as terrorism just because his name was Mohamed Bailor Jalloh and he spent 11 years in jail for providing material aid to ISIS terrorists, Patel ? 👇😒
FBI investigate deadly shooting at Old Dominion University as act of terrorism – Zeale https://t.co/C1ZlDXg0rZ— Alan X 🇺🇸 (@AlanTalbott1) March 13, 2026
Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Sierra Leone, served as a combat engineer in the Virginia Army National Guard from 2009 to 2015. Authorities indicated he left the military after becoming radicalized by the online lectures of deceased al-Qaeda-linked cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
His criminal record includes a July 2016 arrest following an FBI sting operation. During that inquiry, Jalloh told an undercover agent he wanted to carry out a domestic attack similar to the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. He was detained after attempting to send money to the Islamic State group and purchasing an AR-15 rifle that federal agents had secretly rendered inoperable.
In 2017, a federal judge sentenced Jalloh to 11 years in prison, despite prosecutors requesting a 20-year term. He was released early from federal custody on Dec. 23, 2024, and was scheduled to remain under supervised release until 2029. Investigators are currently examining the circumstances that led to his early release.