The FBI has opened a terrorism investigation into a shooting on Thursday (Mar 13) at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, that killed one person and injured two others, both US Army personnel, FBI officials said.
The gunman, who pleaded guilty in 2016 to federal charges of providing material support to terrorists and was released from prison in 2024, was killed shortly after opening fire, FBI officials said. They said the suspect died at the hands of a group of Reserve Officer Training Corps students who stepped in and subdued him.
He was not shot, FBI special agent Dominique Evans told an afternoon news conference. CNN reported that the suspect opened fire after walking into a classroom and asking if it was an ROTC class.
“Our Joint Terrorism Task Force is fully engaged, embedded with local authorities, and providing all resources necessary,” FBI Director Kash Patel said earlier on social media.
A law enforcement official identified the suspect as Mohamed Jalloh.
Two victims were transported to a hospital, where one died, while a third person also believed to be a victim was treated at another hospital, according to Old Dominion Chief of Police Garrett Shelton. All three were affiliated with the university, he said.
Shelton said he would not identify the deceased victim until officers could notify the family.
In a posting on its website, the university said there was no longer a threat but urged the public to avoid the scene of the shooting, where emergency personnel continued to work. Classes and campus operations were cancelled for the rest of the day.
The university’s initial alert said the gunman opened fire shortly before 10.49am in a classroom in the university’s College of Business.
The university, founded in 1930, serves some 24,000 students, according to its website.
US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll posted on X that he was “deeply saddened” to hear about the shooting and the two Army personnel who were injured.
University President Brian Hemphill said in a statement to the school community that Old Dominion had “faced a tragedy” and thanked police and emergency responders for swift intervention.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger wrote on Facebook that she had spoken with university leadership and was mobilising state support to assist with the situation.