A District Attorney, supported by George Soros, has ignited controversy after attributing a deadly shooting at Virginia’s Old Dominion University (ODU) to advocates of gun rights.
During a press conference, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi claimed that the tragic event, which resulted in the deaths of two individuals, including the shooter, and injuries to two others, was the responsibility of the “pro-gun lobby.”
“This is not an ODU problem. This is a national sickness,” Fatehi declared, emphasizing the broader issue at hand. He argued that the nation prioritizes firearms over the safety of vulnerable groups, stating, “We live in a country where people care more about guns than they care about six-year-old children.”
Fatehi continued, drawing connections to other recent incidents of violence, “They care more about guns than they care about synagogue worshipers,” likely alluding to the recent shooting at Temple Israel in Michigan. “And they care more about guns than they do about college students.”
Highlighting the efforts of law enforcement present at the briefing, Fatehi expressed that despite their dedication, the hard work of police officers is insufficient to prevent such tragedies, underscoring the perceived systemic problem.
The prosecutor pointed at the police officers who joined him at the press conference, saying that it did not matter ‘how hard’ they worked to stop tragedies like the Virginia shooting.
‘Somebody will be a victim eventually,’ he said.
Despite his remarks drawing outrage among conservatives on social media, Fatehi doubled down when confronted by Fox News.
The George Soros-backed District Attorney in Norfolk, Virginia Ramin Fatehi sparked backlash after blaming the mass shooting at Old Dominion University (ODU) on pro-gun advocates
The shooter in Thursday’s attack was identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, a former National Guardsman who was convicted for supporting ISIS in 2015
‘I absolutely stand by what I said. It is the truth, no matter how much the gun lobby wants to deny it,’ he said.
The shooter in Thursday’s attack in Virginia was identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, a former National Guardsman who was convicted for supporting ISIS in 2015.
Jalloh, a US citizen originally from Sierra Leone, was released from prison in 2024 during the Biden administration after being caught attempting to hand information to ISIS and ISIL.
But Faheti dismissed Jalloh’s past as he reiterated his view.
‘No matter the ideology of an attacker, that attacker is more dangerous with a gun than without one,’ the left-wing prosecutor said.
Faheti – whose top two donors include the Soros-subsidized Justice and Public Safety PAC and Democracy PAC – called for a political reckoning to rid the nation of guns.
‘Until there is the political will to break the spell of the cult of gun absolutism, you will see more incidents like this,’ he said.
‘So, if you are looking for somebody to blame, don’t look at anybody up here, look at our lawmakers who don’t have the courage to implement sensible gun control measures, look to a Supreme Court that enables them, and do something about it.
‘That is the lesson – let’s mourn the people who’ve died, let’s decry what has happened, but let’s keep the focus where it belongs. It belongs on us, and having to change something so that we don’t have to suffer through this.’
Faheti’s top two donors include the Soros-subsidized Justice and Public Safety PAC and Democracy PAC, which donated over $650,000 to his campaigns between 2021 and 2025
Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah, a veteran Army helicopter pilot, was killed in the shooting
According to Fox News, the two Soros-funded PACs that support Fatehi donated more than $650,000 to his campaigns between 2021 and 2025.
It comes as officials said Jalloh was released from prison two years ago after serving nine years of an 11-year sentence for attempting to hand information to ISIS.
Old Dominion University Police Chief Garrett Shelton said officers responded after receiving reports that people were being shot in one of the classrooms, but the gunman was actually subdued and killed by Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) students.
The ROTC is a college-based military training program for recruiting students into the US armed forces.
The victim who lost his life in the attack was named as Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah, a veteran Army helicopter pilot.
Shah attended ODU as an ROTC student, according to his biography on the university’s website, and returned in 2022 as a program leader.
In the Army, Shah had flown helicopters over Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe as a pilot.
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps students showed ‘extreme bravery and courage’ and prevented further loss of life by stopping the suspect, identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, FBI spokesman Dominique Evans said.
The shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism, FBI Director Kash Patel said
The ROTC students subdued him and ‘rendered him no longer alive,’ Evans added. ‘I don’t know how else to say it.’
The shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post, which praised the heroism of the students.
The Daily Mail has contacted Fatehi’s office for comment.
