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The suspect authorities say killed an ROTC instructor at Old Dominion University had previously been convicted of providing material support to ISIS but received a shorter prison sentence than federal prosecutors sought before his release in 2024, according to court records.
Mohamed Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Sierra Leone, entered a classroom Thursday at the Norfolk school and opened fire after confirming it was an ROTC class, killing Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, authorities said. The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office said ROTC cadets physically subdued Jalloh and stopped the attack, adding that their actions “rendered [him] no longer alive.”
“The horrific tragedy that occurred today on ODU’s campus never should have happened,” Rep. Jennifer Kiggans, R-Va., said following the attack.
Court records show Jalloh was arrested in 2016 for providing material support to ISIS.
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Mohamed Bailor Jalloh was identified by authorities as the shooter at Old Dominion University on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo)
Federal prosecutors sought a 20-year prison sentence, but Senior U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady ultimately sentenced him to 132 months — roughly 11 years.
According to prosecutors, a now-deceased ISIS member overseas arranged contact between Jalloh and an individual he believed to be a fellow supporter but who was actually an FBI confidential human source. Investigators said Jalloh also traveled to Nigeria in connection with the plot.
The overseas terrorist wanted an attack carried out, while Jalloh told the FBI source he decided not to renew his enlistment with the Virginia Army National Guard after listening to lectures from Al Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki — a New Mexico native against whom President Barack Obama ordered a fatal drone strike in 2011.
“The defendant was fully aware of what he was doing, and the consequences of those actions. His only misgivings seemed to be a fear that he would waver at the critical moment,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum obtained by the Associated Press.
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O’Grady later handed down an 11-year sentence that included mental health treatment and substance abuse testing, according to the wire service, and Jalloh was ultimately released in 2024.
Jalloh’s release also required no contact with any terrorist organizations and computer monitoring during probation.
“Jalloh was sentenced in 2017 to 132 months in prison for providing material support to ISIS. The [government] had asked for a sentence of 240 months, the statutory maximum,” former federal prosecutor William Shipley wrote on X.
“The Judge who imposed the reduced sentence was Senior Judge Liam O’Grady, in the Eastern District of Virginia, a GWB appointee. Judge O’Grady announced he was taking Senior Status in June 2020 — right in the heart of the start of COVID, meaning there was no chance that Pres[ident] Trump would be able to get his replacement confirmed.”
“Joe Biden ended up nominating his replacement — Judge Patricia Giles.” Giles, he said, controversially ruled in 2024 that Virginia had illegally purged noncitizens from the voter rolls too close to that year’s election and ordered their restoration.
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Asked whether the spate of recent attacks shows a resurgence of ISIS threats to the homeland or if previously lax immigration policies have played a role, a spokesperson for National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent pointed to recent comments he made after the Iran mission began:
“As the Iran conflict continues to unfold, ODNI’s National Counterterrorism Center is engaged and operating at full capacity, 24/7. We are tracking developments in real time, assessing any potential risks to the homeland, identifying emerging threats, and providing timely, actionable intelligence to the White House, law enforcement, and interagency partners to detect and prevent attacks against the American people,” Kent said.
Old Dominion University campus in Norfolk, Virginia, features academic buildings and landscaped grounds as a public research university serving southeastern Virginia and beyond. (John Greim/LightRocket)
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Kent said counterterrorism officials are “acutely aware” and focused on eliminating “persistent” threats posed by thousands of people with terror ties who “poured into our nation unchecked during four years of open borders under Biden.”
“Constant vigilance is a must. Stay aware of your surroundings, and if you see something suspicious, report it immediately to local law enforcement. Every one of us has a role to play in keeping this nation secure,” Kent said.
A DOJ spokesperson told Digital there are “no known or credible threats to the homeland” at this time and that federal agents are “maintaining a constant state of vigilance to keep Americans safe.”
Digital reached out to ODNI, the FBI and O’Grady for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
