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Authorities are investigating the Old Dominion University shooting that left one person dead and two others injured as an act of terrorism, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Thursday, March 12.Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI's Norfolk field office, said a group of Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) students subdued and killed the suspect who shouted "Allahu Akbar" before opening fire in a classroom inside Constant Hall. She did not provide further details on the incident, but noted that the suspect was not shot."There were students that were in that room that subdued him and rendered him no longer alive," Evans said at a news conference. "I don't know else to say it, but they basically were able to terminate the threat."The suspect, who was identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, pleaded guilty in 2016 to federal charges of providing material support to the Islamic State and was released from prison in 2024, according to Evans. She said Jalloh shot three people, killing one person and injuring two others.Evans also acknowledged the ROTC students who stepped in, saying they showed "extreme bravery and courage" by stopping the suspect and preventing further loss of life.In a statement on X, Patel, who said the incident is being investigated as an act of terrorism, added that the students' actions "undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement."The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is working with local authorities in the investigation, Patel confirmed.Old Dominion, located in Norfolk, Virginia, is a public university with about 24,000 students. Constant Hall is the hub of the school's College of Business. It has two lecture halls and another 19 classrooms.Suspect confirmed dead within minutes after 911 callsAt about 10:43 a.m. ET, police received 911 calls reporting an active shooter inside Constant Hall, Old Dominion University police chief Garrett Shelton said at an earlier news conference. Officers arrived on scene minutes later, and by 10:50 a.m., police had determined the shooter was dead.The university's initial alert said the suspect opened fire shortly before 10:49 a.m. in a classroom in the school's College of Business. The Norfolk Police Department confirmed they were on scene responding to the "active incident" at the school on social media.Two victims were transported to a local hospital, where one later died, according to Shelton. A third victim went to another hospital on their own, the police chief added.The two injured victims were in stable condition, Shelton said. All three victims were affiliated with the university.U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said in a statement on X that he was "deeply saddened" to hear about the shooting and the two Army personnel who were injured in the incident.In a posting on its website, the university later said there was no longer a threat but urged the public to avoid the scene of the shooting, where emergency personnel continued to work.Victim killed in shooting remembered as 'devoted ROTC instructor'In a statement on social media, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger identified the victim killed in the shooting as Lt. Col. Brandon Shah and said he was killed in his classroom."A devoted ROTC instructor, Lt. Col. Shah didn’t just lead a life of service to our country, he taught and led others to follow that path," Spanberger said. "I am grateful for his example, deeply saddened by his death, and praying for his family. Amid this tragedy, I thank the brave students, first responders, and law enforcement officers who responded quickly to today’s horrific attack."Shah was from Virginia and was an alumnus of Old Dominion University, according to his profile on the school's website. He was a professor of military science at the university's ROTC.He enlisted in the Army in 2003 as an aviation operations specialist, his profile states. Shah was deployed in both Iraq and Afghanistan and received multiple awards, including two Bronze Stars.At Old Dominion University, Shah earned a Bachelor of Science in sociology with a minor in military science, according to his profile. He also received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Georgia and a Master of Science in engineering management from the University of Kansas.Suspect a former member of the Army National GuardCourt records show Jalloh was a former member of the Army National Guard. Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Sierra Leone, enlisted in the Virginia Army National Guard when he was 19 years old "out of a patriotic desire to give back to his adopted country," according to court records.He received an honorable discharge when his six-year commitment ended, a defense lawyer for Jalloh wrote in court filings.During the news conference, Evans said Jalloh was arrested in 2016 and pleaded guilty "for attempting to provide material support to ISIL, now known as ISIS." He was sentenced in 2017 to 11 years in prison and was released in 2024.When asked about what type of aid Jalloh was providing, Evans said he wanted to "conduct a terrorist attack similar to that in Fort Hood, Texas." In November 2009, U.S. Army Major and psychiatrist Nidal Hasan opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post, killing 13 people and wounding 32 others.Authorities said Hasan was motivated by Islamic extremism and opposition to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.At the time of his sentencing, prosecutors argued that a 20-year prison sentence for Jalloh would be appropriate. They wrote in a court filing about his potential sentence that he attempted to help the Islamic State group "in a host of ways," including providing the group with funds and trying to organize weapons and personnel.Prosecutors also wrote in that filing that Jalloh suggested to an FBI source that Ramadan, a holy month in the Islamic calendar, was a good time to conduct an attack. The attack at Old Dominion University took place during Ramadan.'It was just fight or flight'Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney, said at the news conference that his wife works on campus and was among those who were on lockdown.Zachary Mulder told WTKR he had just finished class in Constant Hall when the shooting broke out. He told the outlet that dozens of people ran into the Webb Center, where he was having coffee, "screaming 'shooter' and 'gun.'""At that point, it was just fight or flight. I grabbed everything I could and just ran," he said. "I’m just glad to be alive, honestly, and shaken up. You just never thought it would happen."Classes and campus operations were canceled after the shooting. Old Dominion University President Brian O. Hemphill encouraged students to gather on campus for lunch and counseling support."To say the least, today was a tragic day for the campus of Old Dominion University," Hemphill said at the news conference. "Our campus and community have ben truly shaken and forever impacted by this senseless act of violence."Spanberger said on social media that she had spoken with university leadership and was mobilizing state support to assist with the situation.This story has been updated to add new information.Contributing: Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY; Reuters
