Odu Gunman Behind ‘terror’ Attack Identified As Ex-national Guard Member Previously Jailed For Isis Links, Fbi Says

The gunman who opened occurrence connected nan field of Old Dominion University Thursday morning, sidesplitting 1 personification and injuring 2 others, has been identified arsenic Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a erstwhile Army National Guard personnel who was antecedently jailed for his links to ISIS, according to nan FBI.

Jalloh pleaded blameworthy successful 2016 to attempting to supply worldly support to nan Islamic State and was sentenced to 11 years successful prison, according to his Federal Bureau of Prisons grounds obtained by CBS News. He was released from national custody successful December 2024.

The shooting connected Thursday, which near 2 group dead, including Jalloh, is being investigated arsenic an enactment of terrorism, FBI Director Kash Patel said successful a societal media post. He said nan shooter is dormant because of “a group of brave students who stepped successful and subdued him.”

Their actions “undoubtedly saved lives on pinch nan speedy consequence of rule enforcement,” Patel said.

Old Dominion University Police Chief Garrett Shelton said authorities are “very early” successful nan investigation and person not yet wished nan “full origin of death” of nan shooter.

The shooting unfolded astir 10:49 a.m. successful Constant Hall, which is portion of nan College of Business connected nan school’s Norfolk, Virginia, campus.

Jennifer, a sophomore astatine nan school, told WVEC recalled proceeding a group of group saying, “get out, get out, get out.”

“All of a sudden, we heard a commotion. A batch of group rumbling, starting to get up,” she said. “The feline adjacent to me, we looked astatine each other, we started running, and that's erstwhile we heard, you know, gunshots.”

After nan assemblage initially said location were 2 victims, Shelton said authorities learned that location was a 3rd unfortunate who brought themselves to a hospital. He later confirmed that 1 of nan injured had died. The 2 others are successful unchangeable condition.

The victims person not been identified, but Lt. Col. Jimmy Delongchamp, nationalist accusation serviceman for nan U.S. Army Cadet Command astatine Fort Knox, told The Associated Press that nan 2 group wounded are members of nan Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps astatine ODU.

According to CBS News, nan gunman walked into a classroom, asked if it was an ROTC class, and erstwhile personification confirmed that it was, he opened fire, fatally injuring nan people instructor, who was a retired Army officer.

According to a transcript reviewed by CBS News, astatine his 2017 sentencing, Jalloh expressed heavy regret for his actions, stating that he was disgusted by ISIS.

“I've made a batch of mistakes successful my life, but this correction of giving immoderate support to nan convulsive and utmost statement ISIS has been nan astir devastating 1 I person ever decided to make successful my life,” he told U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady.

“I'm very, very sorry for what I person done," he said astatine nan time. "I did not intend to origin immoderate harm to anyone. And I want to opportunity – I want to say, each clip I spot immoderate atrocities that ISIS commits, I americium disgusted by it because I cognize this is not what I want to beryllium a portion of.”

Within astir an hr of nan shooting connected Thursday, ODU declared that location was nary longer a threat connected nan campus.

In an alert sent astatine 11:30 a.m., nan schoolhouse described nan incident arsenic an “active shooter situation” and said nan shooter had been “neutralized.”

The assemblage canceled classes and suspended each operations connected its main field done Friday and urged group to debar nan area successful and astir Constant Hall while emergency officials continued to work. Counseling and nutrient services will stay available.

“Old Dominion University has canceled classes and operations connected main field for nan remainder of nan day,” nan schoolhouse said successful a statement. “Please debar nan area successful and astir Constant Hall wherever emergency unit proceed to work.”

In a connection to nan assemblage community, ODU President Brian Hemphill said nan schoolhouse faced a calamity connected campus. He expressed gratefulness for nan swift emergency consequence and thoughts and prayers to those impacted.

“The information of our field organization is my apical priority,” Hemphill wrote. “We are profoundly committed to safeguarding each Monarchs and ensuring a unafraid learning, living, and moving situation astatine each times.”

The nationalist assemblage has much than 23,000 students. Constant Hall, which has 2 speech halls and 19 classrooms, serves arsenic nan “hub for nan College of Business astatine Old Dominion University,” according to nan school’s website.

Norfolk Public Schools has placed 3 simple schools nether a unafraid clasp successful consequence to nan incident, 13News Now reports.

"All students and unit are secure, and we are pursuing established information protocols. We will proceed to supply updates arsenic much accusation becomes available," a spokesperson for nan territory told nan outlet.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger issued a connection connected X, saying, “I’m intimately monitoring nan on-campus shooting astatine Old Dominion University. I person spoken pinch assemblage leadership. My Administration remains successful adjacent interaction pinch section emergency responders arsenic authorities support is being mobilized to assistance ODU and Norfolk.”

She added, “I promote students, faculty, and organization members to proceed pursuing guidance issued by section rule enforcement. I convey each first responders connected nan scene.”