The tragic events that unfolded at Old Dominion University on Thursday have sent shockwaves through Norfolk, Virginia, and beyond. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, identified as the shooter, left one person dead and two others injured in a violent episode that ended with his own death. The incident is currently under federal investigation as a possible act of terrorism.
Authorities have confirmed that Jalloh, a 36-year-old former Army National Guardsman from Sterling, Virginia, was involved in Thursday’s shooting at Constant Hall on the university’s campus. While the immediate danger has passed, with officials assuring there is no ongoing threat, the implications of Jalloh’s actions continue to be scrutinized.
Jalloh’s past has raised significant concerns. A former member of the Virginia Army National Guard, he served as a combat engineer from April 2009 until April 2015. Although his military career saw no deployments, Jalloh’s departure from the Army came at the rank of specialist, a position typically reached after four years of service.
Adding to the gravity of the situation is Jalloh’s criminal history. In 2016, federal prosecutors secured a guilty plea from him for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), commonly known as ISIS. This prior conviction has led federal authorities to explore the possibility that Thursday’s shooting was motivated by terrorist intent.
Who was Mohamed Jalloh?
As the investigation unfolds, the community grapples with the impact of this tragedy. Law enforcement continues to piece together the motives behind Jalloh’s actions, seeking to understand the full scope of this devastating incident and prevent future occurrences.
ABC News said Jalloh served in the Virginia Army National Guard as a combat engineer from April 2009 to April 2015, having no deployments. He left the Army as a specialist, which is a junior rank that a soldier achieves automatically after four years.
According to federal prosecutors, Jalloh pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as ISIS.
Court documents say Jalloh became radicalized after consuming extremist propaganda, including lectures from al-Qaeda-linked cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. He told an FBI confidential informant that he had considered carrying out an attack in the United States and believed such operations were “the right thing.”
Federal investigators said Jalloh met twice in 2016 with a person he believed was helping him coordinate with ISIS but who was actually an FBI confidential source. During those meetings, he discussed potential attack timelines — suggesting the Islamic holy month of Ramadan as an ideal time — and praised past attacks on U.S. military targets, including the November 2009 attack at Fort Hood that killed 13 people and wounded 32 others.
Prosecutors said he also transferred $500 in cash to what he believed was an ISIS contact, but the recipient was an undercover FBI employee.
Authorities said Jalloh had previously traveled to Libya, where he met individuals linked to ISIS and attempted to connect with the group before returning to the United States.
Jalloh was arrested in connection with this incident on July 3, 2016. He pleaded guilty that year, and in October 2017, he was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release, the FBI said. Prosecutors recommended he serve 20 years in prison.
Court records, however, show Jalloh was released from prison in December 2024, ABC News reports. It is not uncommon for inmates in the federal prison system to be released before serving their full term, but it was not immediately known why Jalloh was released in this instance.
Old Dominion University shooting
Sources told ABC News that on Thursday, March 12, Jalloh reportedly walked into a room in Constant Hall and asked if it was a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) class. When someone replied that it was, Jalloh reportedly shot the instructor of the class multiple times.
Authorities have said one person was killed and two people were injured in the shooting. Their identities have not yet been disclosed.
Authorities have also said the gunman was dead. FBI officials said “brave ROTC members in the room” were able to “subdue” Jalloh. It is unclear exactly how he died.
Old Dominion University has canceled classes for the remainder of the week. The FBI is now the lead investigating agency in the incident.
