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A suspected gunman who was previously convicted of providing material support to the Islamic State terror group was left dead after opening fire Thursday on the campus of Old Dominion University (ODU), killing one person and injuring two others.
Multiple federal sources confirmed to Fox News that the suspected shooter at ODU was Mohamed Jalloh, who was convicted in 2017 of providing material support to ISIS. He was released from prison in 2024. The shooting occurred shortly before 10:49 a.m., the university said in an emergency alert.
The gunman was later pronounced dead when responding officers arrived following a shooting near ROTC cadets, Police Chief Garrett Shelton told reporters during a news conference.
“The shooter is now deceased thanks to a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X.
Jalloh was not shot, the FBI said, without elaborating on how he died.
“The brave ROTC members in that room subdued him,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans told reporters. “And if not for them, I’m not sure you know what else he may have done. But that’s exactly what they did, they confronted him, and, they subdued him, and he, was was no longer able to conduct any further attack.”
One victim was taken to a hospital and another took themselves to a hospital in Virginia Beach, authorities later said. Both were in stable condition, the chief said.
Less than an hour later, at 11:43 a.m., the school announced there was “no longer a threat” on campus but urged students and staff to avoid the area in and around Constant Hall while emergency personnel continued to respond.
SHOOTING AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY LEAVES TWO DEAD
Norfolk Police Department posted a photo of the response to a shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia, where two were injured. (Norfolk Police Department)
Norfolk Police and the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) responded to the scene.
A motive for the shooting has yet to be determined. The Norfolk police Department will lead the investigation.
Jalloh, who served in the National Guard, was a naturalized U.S. citizen from Sierra Leone. He quit the military after listening to online lectures by Anwar al-Aulaqi, a deceased leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, he told investigators.
While meeting with ISIS members in Nigeria, he tried to buy firearms in North Carolina and Virginia, the Justice Department said at the time.
Bystanders are evacuated from Old Dominion University’s campus after reports of an active shooter on Thursday, March 12, 2026 in Norfolk, Va. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)
ODU canceled classes and operations on its main campus for the remainder of the day.
An initial alert went out to students around 10:50 a.m. warning them of an “active threat” on campus and encouraging them to follow “Run-Hide-Fight” protocols.
Patel said the agency personnel are providing assistance and working with local authorities responding to the shooting.
“We will update as able,” he wrote.
BALTIMORE POLICE OFFICER SHOT IN THE LEG, SUSPECT KILLED IN APPARENT HOSTAGE INCIDENT
A campus view of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, July 18, 2015. (John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
ODU President Brian Hemphill called the shooting a “tragedy” in a campuswide message Thursday and thanked university police, emergency personnel and Norfolk authorities for their swift response.
The university made counseling services available for students, faculty and staff as the investigation continues.
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“The safety of our campus community is my top priority. We are deeply committed to safeguarding all Monarchs and ensuring a secure learning, living, and working environment at all times,” Hemphill said. “We take this responsibility very seriously and remain vigilant in our efforts to maintain a safe campus. I extend my thoughts and prayers to those impacted by the incident, as well as the entire campus and the broader community.”
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said she was monitoring the on-campus shooting.
“I have spoken with university leadership,” she wrote on X. “My Administration remains in close contact with local emergency responders as state support is being mobilized to assist ODU and Norfolk.”
She encouraged students, faculty, and community members to continue following guidance issued by local law enforcement.
