Shooting at Old Dominion University Kills ROTC Instructor, Students Take Down Gunman

Thursday morning started like any other day at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. That changed fast. Just before 11 AM, a man walked into an ROTC classroom and opened fire. By the time it was over, one instructor was dead, two others were hurt, and the gunman himself did not make it out alive.

The Attack Inside the Classroom

The shooter made his way into a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps classroom at ODU and started shooting without warning. Lieutenant Colonel Brandon A. Shah, who served as an instructor there, was shot and killed. Two other military personnel in the room were also hit and injured.

What happened next is the part that has people talking. Students in that same classroom did not run. They fought back. They physically took down the gunman themselves and, according to the FBI, he did not survive. FBI Special Agent Dominique Evans confirmed at a press conference that Jalloh was not shot. Students subdued him by hand.

Who Was Mohamed Bailor Jalloh

The FBI identified the shooter as 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh. He had served in the Army National Guard at some point in his past. More significantly, he had already been convicted on terrorism-related charges before this attack.

How he ended up on that campus, in that classroom, on that morning is something investigators are still working through. Federal authorities are leading the case given his background.

Campus Went Into Lockdown

ODU sent out an active shooter alert the moment reports came in. Police arrived quickly and in large numbers. Video filmed by Gray Crigger and shared through Storyful shows ambulances, fire trucks, and heavy law enforcement presence at the scene. Students and staff were told to stay where they were until everything was cleared.

Where Things Stand Now

Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah has been confirmed as the only person killed. The two injured individuals were military members who were in the classroom at the time. Their conditions have not been officially updated.

The FBI is running the investigation. Given Jalloh’s terrorism history and military background, this is being treated as more than a standard criminal case. More information is expected to come out as the investigation moves forward.

Old Dominion University is based in Norfolk, Virginia. The attack has hit the campus community hard and raised serious questions about security at university ROTC programs across the country.