Mohammed Bailor Jalloh id as ODU gunman who shot & Lt Colonel Brandon Shah ROTC instructor during class at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia as incident is described as domestic terrorist with gunman’s ties to Sierra Leone ISIS group.
Lt Colonel Brandon Shah was identified as the person killed in the deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia on Thursday in a suspected terrorist attack.
Mohammed Bailor Jalloh a former Virginia National Guardsman was identified as the suspect in the incident which left the army veteran instructor dead and two wounded along with the gunman who was rendered ‘no longer alive.’
Jalloh, 36, reportedly entered a classroom inside ODU’s Constant Hall and asked if it was a ROTC class. Upon getting confirmation, he launched the attack, shooting the professor several times. The FBI said during a press conference that Jalloh shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ before opening fire. The incident is already being probed as a terror attack over the Sierra Leone-born suspect’s past ISIS links.
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Bailor Jalloh was a decorated chair of Old Dominion University’s military science department who served several tours in the Middle East. Jalloh, a former member of the Army National Guard was previously convicted in a terrorism case involving ISIS.
The Virginia National Guard confirmed to the nypost that Jalloh was honorably discharged in April 2015, just one day shy of completing six years of service.
In 2017, Jalloh was sentenced to 11 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, according to the DOJ.
What we know about ODU shooter Mohamed Bailor Jalloh
Jalloh, a naturalized US citizen from Sierra Leone, became absorbed into the world of ISIS after leaving his post as a combat engineer with the Virginia National Guard.
He specifically admired Anwar al-Awlaki, the slain leader of Al-Qaeda’s branch in the Arabian Peninsula, and other known terrorists, the DOJ said.
He met up with members of ISIS sometime during a six-month stay in Africa in 2016. Jalloh was arrested not long after returning to the US when he tried, and failed, to purchase high-power firearms, according to the DOJ.
Who was Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah
Brandon Shah according to the school was identified as a an alumnus and decorated veteran Army helicopter pilot and the son-in-law of a Voorhees trustee.
Posted Voorhees University in part, ‘The Voorhees University family is deeply saddened by the tragic shooting that occurred today at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. We extend our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the family of the victim who lost his life, to those who were injured, and to the entire Old Dominion University community.’
Shah attended ODU as an ROTC student, according to his biography on the university’s website, and had returned in 2022 as a leader for the program.
In the Army, Shah had flown helicopters over Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe as a pilot. He collected more than 17 awards linked to his storied military career, including the Air Medal of Valor and three Army Commendation Medals.
Shah additionally recorded more than 1,200 hours flying three different aircrafts on top of 600 combat flight hours, according to his university profile.
Old Dominion University shooting probed as domestic terrorism
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps students showed ‘extreme bravery and courage’ and prevented further loss of life by stopping the suspect, identified as Mohamed Jalloh, FBI spokesperson Dominique Evans said during a Thursday press conference.
The ROTC students subdued him and ‘rendered him no longer alive,’ Evans added. ‘I don’t know how else to say it.’
The shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post, who praised the heroism of the students.
Evans said Jalloh aspired to conduct a terrorist attack like the killings at Fort Hood.
‘I can tell you that we have confirmed reports that prior to him conducting this act of terrorism, he shouted, stated, ”Allahu Akbar,” and he was formerly a subject of an FBI investigation into material supporting terrorism,’ she added.
Law enforcement sources told the nypost that a group of the students, including one armed with a knife, killed Jalloh before he could harm anyone else.
ROTC is a program where students receive a scholarship to attend college while training to become commissioned officers in the U.S. military. They are committed to serve as an officer for a period of time after they graduate.
