politics
What we know about the Old Dominion University gunman, a veteran and convicted ISIS supporter
In a grim pattern that has become all too familiar, another campus has been shattered by gunfire, this time at Old Dominion University in Virginia, where an attacker cloaked violence in the language of religion.
TL;DR
- Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Virginia National Guard member, is identified as the gunman in the Old Dominion University shooting.
- Jalloh had a prior conviction in 2017 for attempting to provide material support to ISIS and was released from federal custody in December 2024.
- The attack resulted in the death of Lt. Col. Brandon Shah and injuries to two others, all affiliated with the university.
- Federal investigators are treating the shooting as an act of terrorism.
- Questions are being raised about Jalloh's early release from prison and the effectiveness of monitoring individuals convicted of terrorism-related offenses.
- Jalloh had previously expressed admiration for the Fort Hood shooting and was fixated on carrying out a similar attack.
- ROTC students in the room subdued the gunman after he opened fire, with one student stabbing Jalloh.
- A new provision implemented in September 2025, under a Trump-era executive order, prohibits inmates with terrorism-related convictions from early release.