An assailant shot and killed an educator at Virginia’s Old Dominion University (ODU) on Thursday, March 12, in Constant Hall on the university’s Norfolk campus. The gunman, identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, allegedly opened fire during a class session.
Jalloh reportedly entered the classroom and asked whether a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) lesson was going on. Upon receiving an affirmative response, he immediately opened fire, according to reports. Jalloh allegedly had shouted “Allahu Akbar” before the shooting. The gunfire instantly killed the instructor and injured two others.
Additional details have been released about today’s attempted mass shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, with reports suggesting that the intended target of the shooter, identified as Ex-National Guardsman Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, was ODU’s Reserve Officers’… pic.twitter.com/9c1vl8ikci
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 13, 2026
Investigations have revealed that the deceased instructor, identified as Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, was an Army veteran. Shah was an ROTC instructor at the university and was teaching the same on the day of the attack.
A group of students reportedly managed to subdue Jalloh following the attack, potentially preventing further victims.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel has been actively involved in the investigation of the case. He claimed that the findings were still at their initial level. Additionally, Patel also praised the students for taking down the gunman. ODU Police are investigating the motive behind the shooting.
Based on first-hand reports from the scene, the ODU Police responded within 10 minutes after receiving the alert of the shooting. Students described the attack as terrifying, with blaring alarms and people fleeing the building.
Meanwhile, tributes continue to pour in for Shah. He was a native of Staunton in Virginia and earned an MBA from the University of Georgia. He also held a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Kansas.
Shah enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2003 and was known for his strong record at work. Notably, he served in multiple operations in and around the Middle East. Shah had logged more than 1,200 flight hours and over 600 combat hours. Moreover, he earned badges for Senior Army Aviator, Combat Action, Parachutist and Air Assault.
Hero Veteran Gunned Down by Released ISIS Supporter on College Campus
Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah, a decorated Army combat veteran and leader of Old Dominion University’s ROTC program, was murdered in cold blood Thursday morning by Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a convicted ISIS… pic.twitter.com/5CaHYZHN7y
— ⁿᵉʷˢ Trump doctrine (@pulse_trump) March 13, 2026
Shah had been employed as a professor of military science at his alma mater, ODU. Friends and family members said teaching was one of his long-held dreams.
Speaking to WTKR, on of Shah’s colleagues, Aerock Parinas, said, “Life is so short… You need to tell your loved ones you love them while you still can.”
Jalloh is reportedly a repeat offender. A former Army National Guard member, he was jailed in 2017 for trying to provide support material to ISIS. He was released from federal custody in December 2024.
He had apologized to a U.S. District judge in 2017 for his actions. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but this mistake of giving any support to the violent and extreme organization ISIS has been the most devastating one I have ever decided to make in my life,” Jalloh said.
