(AP/NBC/Reuters) — A shooting inside a classroom at Old Dominion University, Virginia, USA, left one person dead and two others wounded Thursday before the suspected gunman was killed, authorities said, prompting a lockdown and the cancellation of campus operations.
Police said the gunfire erupted shortly before 10:49 a.m. inside Constant Hall, the building housing the university’s College of Business.
Officers rushed to the scene within minutes of receiving emergency calls reporting shots fired. When law enforcement arrived, the suspected attacker was already dead, officials said.
Two victims were transported by ambulance to a hospital while a third individual who had been wounded made their way independently to another medical facility, Old Dominion University Police Chief Garrett Shelton told reporters during a news conference.
“One of the victims is deceased, and we’re working on getting in touch with the family at this point,” Shelton said, adding that authorities would withhold the victim’s identity until relatives were notified.
All three victims are affiliated with the university community, he said.
Senior law enforcement officials briefed on the case told NBC News that the gunman has been identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a 36-year-old resident of Sterling, Virginia.
Officials said Jalloh was also killed during the incident, though investigators have not yet determined the exact cause of his death.
The suspect had previously pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to Islamic State, according to public court records cited by NBC News and federal authorities.
Court documents from that case indicate that Jalloh attempted to help obtain weapons for a potential attack in the United States and provided financial support to individuals seeking to join the extremist organization.
He was sentenced to 11 years in prison and released from federal custody in 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed.
Officials said investigators are examining whether the university shooting had any connection to terrorism.
Two of the injured victims are members of the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Old Dominion, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Cadet Command told The Associated Press.
Lt. Col. Jimmy Delongchamp, public information officer for Army Cadet Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky, confirmed the affiliation during a telephone interview.
“We will continue to coordinate with the university and law enforcement agencies as they investigate the incident,” Delongchamp said.
Medical officials said two victims were transported to the Level I trauma center at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. One of those patients later died from their injuries, while the other remains hospitalized.
A third person was treated at Sentara Independence, a freestanding emergency facility in Virginia Beach, before being released, Sentara Health said.
The university issued an emergency alert shortly before 10:48 a.m. warning of an active threat in Constant Hall.
At approximately 11:30 a.m., campus officials issued another message describing the situation as an “active shooter” event and announcing that the attacker had been neutralized.
Authorities subsequently confirmed that there was no ongoing threat to the campus.
Police vehicles blocked streets around the university as officers secured the area and conducted searches inside the building.
Within about an hour, the university lifted the emergency alert but urged people to avoid the vicinity while investigators processed the scene.
Classes and campus operations were canceled for the remainder of Thursday and the university announced it would remain closed Friday.
Counseling and support services were made available for students and staff.
Brian O. Hemphill described the shooting as a tragedy for the campus community.
“Old Dominion University has faced a tragedy today,” Hemphill said in a message to students and staff.
“The safety of our campus community is my top priority,” he added. “We are deeply committed to safeguarding all Monarchs and ensuring a secure learning, living, and working environment at all times.”
Abigail Spanberger said she had spoken with university leadership and was coordinating assistance from state agencies.
“My administration remains in close contact with local emergency responders as state support is being mobilized to assist,” Spanberger wrote on social media.
Law enforcement agencies responding to the scene included Norfolk Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and federal investigators.
Officials said several groups of high school students were visiting the campus when the shooting occurred.
Norfolk Public Schools confirmed that students from multiple area high schools were participating in a campus tour at the time.
A district spokesperson told WAVY-TV that all visiting students and staff were safe.
The university campus sits in Norfolk, a coastal city that is home to roughly 24,000 Old Dominion students and located near Naval Station Norfolk.
Nearly 30% of the university’s students are affiliated with the military, according to the school’s website.
Kash Patel said the shooting is being examined as a possible act of terrorism.
In a statement posted on social media, Patel said the gunman died after “a group of brave students stepped in and subdued him.”
Their intervention, he said, “undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement.”
Investigators are continuing to determine whether the suspect specifically targeted the ROTC classroom and whether any ideological motivation played a role.
The shooting at Old Dominion University highlights ongoing concerns about how individuals with violent histories reintegrate into society after completing prison sentences.
The suspect’s prior conviction for attempting to support ISIS raises difficult questions for policymakers about monitoring individuals previously convicted in terrorism cases.
Federal law enforcement agencies typically track such individuals after release, but civil liberties protections limit the extent to which authorities can monitor former offenders without evidence of new criminal activity.
Security experts note that universities face particular vulnerabilities because they must remain open, accessible environments while still protecting large populations of students and staff.
In recent years, many institutions have expanded campus police forces, installed emergency alert systems and implemented active-shooter training programs.
The rapid police response at Old Dominion — with officers arriving within minutes — likely prevented additional casualties.
Still, the tragedy underscores the persistent threat of gun violence in educational institutions across the United States.
For the Old Dominion community, the coming days will likely focus on mourning the loss of a member of the campus family while confronting the reality that even well-protected academic environments are not immune to violence.
