Number On Gun Used In Fatal Old Dominion Shooting Was Obliterated, Law Enforcement Official Says

NORFOLK, Va. — The shooter who opened occurrence successful a schoolroom astatine Virginia’s Old Dominion University connected Thursday successful an onslaught being investigated arsenic an enactment of coercion had a weapon pinch an obliterated serial number, perchance complicating investigators’ efforts to find really nan man pinch a erstwhile felony condemnation obtained a firearm, according to a rule enforcement official.

Investigators will person to effort to re-surface nan number successful bid to trace nan gun, according to nan official, who said to nan Associated Press connected information of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk nan ongoing investigation.

The FBI identified nan shooter arsenic Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a erstwhile Army National Guard personnel who pleaded blameworthy successful 2016 to attempting to assistance nan Islamic State.

Jalloh, who yelled “Allahu akbar” earlier opening fire, was subdued and killed by ROTC students, according to FBI officials who praised nan students’ bravery for preventing further harm. The shooting killed an ROTC leader who was a professor of subject discipline astatine ODU, and near 2 others hurt.

Jalloh had been sentenced to 11 years successful situation and was released from national custody successful December 2024. He was connected supervised release, which is comparable to probation.

It wasn’t instantly clear why his merchandise from situation was moved up. Inmates tin get clip disconnected their sentences for a assortment of reasons, but it wasn’t instantly clear if that happened successful his case.

Old Dominion University Police Chief Garrett Shelton said little than 10 minutes passed betwixt erstwhile officers were called astir a shooting successful nan university’s business schoolhouse building and erstwhile responders wished nan shooter was dead.

Lt. Col. Jimmy Delongchamp, nationalist accusation serviceman for nan U.S. Army Cadet Command astatine Fort Knox, Kentucky, told The Associated Press that 2 of nan group who were changeable were portion of nan Army ROTC astatine ODU. ROTC is simply a programme wherever students person a danasiwa to be assemblage while training to go commissioned officers successful nan U.S. military.

Voorhees University successful South Carolina confirmed nan unfortunate who died was Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, nan son-in-law of a Voorhees trustee.

Shah attended ODU arsenic an ROTC student, according to his curriculum vitae connected nan university’s website, and had returned successful 2022 arsenic a leader for nan program. In nan Army, Shah piloted helicopters complete Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe.

The shooter besides had a inheritance successful subject service. Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. national from Sierra Leone, served arsenic a master pinch nan Virginia Army National Guard from 2009 until 2015, erstwhile he was honorably discharged.

Breed and Richer constitute for nan Associated Press. Durkin Richer reported from Washington. AP reporters Michael Biesecker successful Washington, Michael R. Sisak successful New York City and Olivia Diaz successful Richmond, Va., contributed to this report.