Mohamed Bailor Jalloh

A gunman who shot and killed a retired Army officer and wounded two others inside a classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia has been identified as a former National Guardsman with a history of attempting to support the Islamic State.

Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, who was released from federal prison in December after serving time for terror offences, opened fire on an ROTC class on Thursday before being killed. The targeted attack on military personnel prompted a major law enforcement response across the Norfolk campus.

Old Dominion University Gunman Targets ROTC Class

The incident began when the shooter entered Constant Hall, a building housing the university's College of Business. According to law enforcement sources speaking to CBS News, the suspect specifically asked if the students present were part of an ROTC programme. Upon receiving confirmation, he immediately opened fire. The class instructor, a retired Army officer, suffered fatal injuries during the assault.

Two other individuals were wounded. Old Dominion Police Chief Garrett Shelton confirmed during a press conference that all the victims were affiliated with the university, though he declined to publicly identify the deceased. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll noted on social media that two casualties were Army personnel, adding: 'I'm praying for them and all those impacted by this terrible event.' The surviving victims, who were taken to hospitals in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, are in a stable condition.

Gunman Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Had ISIS History

Law enforcement sources identified the deceased shooter as Jalloh, a man already known to federal authorities. According to his Federal Bureau of Prisons record, the former Virginia National Guardsman pleaded guilty in October 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the terror group ISIS. He received an 11-year prison sentence but was released early in December 2024.

The precise circumstances of his death during the campus attack remain unspecified, though university officials confirmed in an emergency alert that the shooter had been neutralised.

The violence unfolded hours before an unrelated attack at a synagogue in Michigan. However, local authorities quickly dismissed concerns of a wider threat to the Virginia coast. Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot told reporters the danger was contained entirely to the university grounds.

'We've learned nothing here today that makes us think that there's anything to fear beyond what we're dealing with here,' Talbot said.

Students Flee Norfolk Campus During Active Shooting

As the shooting commenced, panic swept through the campus. Students reported hearing sudden screams followed by fire alarms, prompting a mass evacuation of Constant Hall.

Kahari, a junior at the university, told CBS affiliate WTKR-TV he was attending a class in the building when the disruption began. 'We heard like faint screaming, and we just like looked back, we didn't know what it was,' he said. 'And then we heard the screams getting louder, and then that's when the alarm went off, and everyone just like ran out of the building.'

Another student informed the station that his class fled the premises assuming the alarm signalled a routine fire drill, noting a similar exercise had taken place roughly a week prior. He only discovered there had been an active shooter upon reaching the safety of a nearby parking garage, where he called his parents.

'It was just terrifying, it really was. Everything was just terrifying,' the student said. 'Everybody was running, everybody was screaming, we didn't know what was going on. I couldn't even get words out, I still really can't. It's surreal. I mean, you never think this to happen. You woke up, you came to class, you think it's going to be a normal day and then something like this happens.'

Authorities Secure Campus As Federal Investigation Begins

Shortly after midday, the university administration issued an all-clear notification. The alert confirmed the emergency had ended and there was no longer an active threat. Classes were subsequently suspended for the remainder of the day.

Multiple federal agencies are involved in the ongoing investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed it had deployed agents to the scene, while FBI Director Kash Patel stated the bureau was providing active assistance.

Originally published on IBTimes UK

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