Student previously had been convicted of ‘federal terrorism offense,’ ‘planned to use a gun to attack U.S. military personnel on behalf of ISIS’
A deadly March shooting at Old Dominion University was a “targeted terror attack” against ROTC cadets by a student linked to ISIS, according to an independent investigation released Tuesday.
While the report recommended several improvements for campus safety, it also absolved the public Virginia institution of fault.
Instead, the report by the Cooley law firm, which Old Dominion commissioned to conduct an independent investigation, pointed to a lack of information available to the university about the shooter’s criminal past.
During the March 12 classroom shooting, Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, an ROTC instructor, was killed and two students were injured.
Before succumbing to his wounds, Shah fought back against the shooter, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, with “extraordinary heroism and bravery,” allowing many students to escape unharmed, according to the report.
Jalloh, an Old Dominion student, also died in the shooting. He previously had been convicted of “a federal terrorism offense in which he had planned to use a gun to attack U.S. military personnel on behalf of ISIS,” according to the report.
However, the university was not informed of Jalloh’s past conviction “by law enforcement or the student’s probation officer,” Old Dominion stated in a news release.
The university statement emphasized the report’s findings that the shooting was a “targeted terror attack on ROTC students and their leader,” but preventing his actions would have been “difficult if not impossible” due to the lack of information provided about Jalloh’s past.
Under Virginia law, higher education institutions cannot ask about students’ criminal history as part of their admissions process, the Associated Press reports:
The university, which does not conduct background checks on admitted students, can ask readmitted students to voluntarily disclose their criminal history but did not at the time, the report said.
That’s part of why the university “had no knowledge of the risk Jalloh posed or his federal terrorism conviction,” the report said. Had officials known, it’s likely they would have sought his removal from campus, it said. …
The report noted that among the standard conditions of Jalloh’s release was one requiring that he “notify third parties of risks that may be occasioned by his criminal record or personal history or characteristics” as directed by his probation officer.
The report also states that the university police “responded to the shooting almost immediately and effectively handled the situation.”
In a campus message Tuesday, university President Brian Hemphill praised Lt. Col. Shah and the ROTC cadets who fought back against the attacker to save their classmates.
“We will forever be indebted to these brave Monarchs, who are accomplished scholars, servant leaders, and true warriors, for their action and courage on that fateful day,” Hemphill wrote.
He also outlined the steps campus leaders are taking to improve security, based on the report’s recommendations.
The Fix reported more about the shooting in March:
The gunman shouted “Allahu akbar” and asked whether those in the Virginia classroom were in an ROTC class before he began shooting, PBS reported, citing authorities and court papers.
“The shooter is now deceased thanks to a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him – actions that undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement,” FBI Director Kash Patel stated in a post on X. …
Jalloh had been sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2017 to providing support to the Islamic State, the Associated Press reported. He was released early, in December 2024, after completing a drug treatment program, which allows some inmates to reduce their sentences, the AP reported.
Jalloh previously had served in the National Guard.
MORE: ‘Allahu Akbar’: Old Dominion University shooting investigated as act of terrorism