Heroic ROTC Cadets and Leader Thwart Gunman Attack at Old Dominion University: Firsthand Accounts

A gripping account has emerged from the cadets of Virginia’s Old Dominion University, who shared their harrowing experience in a video released by the Army ROTC. These brave students recounted the terrifying moment when they confronted and disarmed an armed attacker in their classroom, before desperately trying to save their wounded instructor, who had heroically intervened.

The 17-minute video, posted on Wednesday, captures the cadets’ recollections of the March 12 incident at the Norfolk campus. It highlights the courageous actions of Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, who selflessly placed himself between the shooter and his students, attempting to protect them at the cost of his own life.

Cadet Jah-Ire Urtarte poignantly described Lt. Col. Shah’s sacrifice, stating, “If he didn’t lunge at him, you know, I wouldn’t be here right now. There’s a possibility he could’ve turned his gun and I could’ve been next.” This testimony underscores the profound impact of Shah’s bravery during those critical moments.

The tragic event also resulted in the death of the shooter, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guard veteran. Jalloh had a troubled past, including a 2016 guilty plea for attempting to support the Islamic State, for which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. At the time of the attack, he was under supervised release.

According to the cadets, Jalloh entered their classroom with a nervous demeanor, inquiring if it was an ROTC session. Upon confirmation, he reportedly drew a pistol, shouted ‘Allahu akbar,’ and fired at Lt. Col. Shah, setting off the chain of events that would lead to his own demise and the courageous acts of the cadets.

The students say Jalloh walked into their classroom and nervously asked if it was an ROTC class. When someone confirmed that, they say he pulled a pistol from his waist, shouted ‘Allahu akbar,’ and fired toward Shah.

Students dived for cover. As Shah struggled with Jalloh, Cadet Louis Ancheta said he pulled out his pocket knife, moved toward them and was hit in the chest by a round.

“It really didn’t feel like it hit me,” he said, pointing toward his sternum. “It felt like a graze. After that, I’m like, `I can keep on going.’ ”

When Shah got the man turned around, Ancheta said he took action with the folding tactical knife that most cadets carry with them.

“So, I just go in there, just start stabbing him,” he said. “As I’m stabbing, other cadets jump in.”

Cadet Jeremy Rawlinson said he took out his knife, too, to help stop the threat.

Despite having several people on top of him, Jalloh still had the gun. Cadet Wesley Myers said he made that his priority, squeezing his fingers between Jalloh’s hand and the weapon to pry it away and clear the final round from the chamber.

With the shooter disarmed, the cadets said they turned their attention to the wounded: Cadet Samuel Reineberg found a gunshot wound to Shah’s upper right thigh. Rawlinson handed him his belt for a tourniquet.

“On an instant, we switched over to doing combat care,” Rawlinson said.

Myers went to Ancheta.

“It’s different when it’s not a mannequin and it’s your friend,” Myers said. “So, myself and another cadet pull him to the side and lay him on his back and begin performing first aid.”

Ancheta said he asked them to call his mother.

Recovering, he received the Purple Heart — one of several cadets awarded medals for their response.

They praised Shah for taking action to protect them and for preparing them for the moment.

“So, he got to see all the training that he and the rest of Cadre had been giving us for the past years, he got to see us instantly do that in action,” Rawlinson said. “He got see right then and there, like, hey, these guys didn’t panic. They immediately switched over.”

Shah attended Old Dominion University as an ROTC student, according to his biography on the university’s website, and had returned in 2022 as a leader for the program. In the Army, Shah had flown helicopters over Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe as a pilot.

Two days before the shooting, Shah had told cadets not to wear their uniforms around campus as a precaution, another cadet previously told The Associated Press.

“Because of all the situation that’s happening with Iran and all of that stuff in the Middle East,” said Cadet Brandon Rebolledo, who was in the nearby ROTC building when the shooting occurred. “To make sure that we did not become a target and to make sure that we were keeping a low profile.”

The students say Shah was the real hero that day.

“So, he has a saying: Be bold, be quick, be gone,’” Rawlinson said.

Added Cadet Oshea Bego: “Col. Shah really set that example for what it means, not just as a warrior, leader and soldier, but also just as a human being.”