Universities often begin their days with a quiet rhythm. Lecture halls fill with conversation, backpacks settle beside desks, and the steady cadence of learning spreads across campus pathways. These spaces are built for inquiry and reflection, places where ideas travel freely between students and teachers.
At Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, that rhythm was broken.
Authorities say a fatal shooting inside a university classroom is now being investigated as an act of terrorism by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The attack unfolded during a class session, when a gunman entered the room and opened fire, leaving one person dead and two others injured.
The victim was identified as Brandon Shah, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who served as an instructor in the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. Two ROTC cadets were wounded during the shooting and taken for medical treatment.
In the moments that followed, several students inside the classroom intervened. Authorities said cadets confronted the attacker and managed to restrain him before the situation could spread further across campus.
Investigators later identified the suspect as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member whose past is now part of the investigation. Federal authorities say he had previously been convicted in 2016 for attempting to support the extremist group Islamic State, often known as ISIS, and had been released from prison in late 2024.
Across the campus community, the shock moved quickly. Emergency alerts instructed students and faculty to shelter in place while police secured the area. Classes were canceled as university officials began the process of informing families, assisting the injured, and offering counseling services to students and staff.
Universities occupy a delicate place in public life — open environments designed for learning, debate, and collaboration. Yet they increasingly exist alongside the reality that moments of violence can intrude without warning.
In Norfolk, investigators continue to examine the events and motivations behind the attack. For those who study and teach at the university, the classroom where it occurred will likely carry a lasting memory — not only of tragedy, but of the students who stepped forward in a moment when courage briefly replaced fear.
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Sources
Reuters
Associated Press
The Guardian
The Washington Post
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