NORFOLK, VIRGINIA — Authorities in the United States have confirmed that a Sierra Leonean-born man carried out a deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, leaving one person dead and two others injured.
The suspect, identified as **Mohamed Bailor Jalloh**, 36, was subdued and killed by fellow students after opening fire during a class session on Thursday. The incident occurred inside Constant Hall, the business school building at the university, during an Army ROTC class.
Officials say the victims were affiliated with the university and the U.S. Army. The person killed has been identified as **Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah**, a Professor of Military Science attached to the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programme. Two Army ROTC cadets were also wounded in the attack but are currently receiving treatment and are reported to be in stable condition.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. FBI Director Kash Patel said a group of students acted quickly to stop the attacker, effectively ending the assault before law enforcement arrived.
Witnesses reported that the gunman shouted religious phrases before opening fire, triggering panic across the campus. The university immediately issued a shelter-in-place order while security forces secured the area. The alert was later lifted and classes at the main campus were cancelled for the remainder of the day.
Investigators revealed that Jalloh had a prior terrorism-related conviction. In 2016, he pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court to attempting to provide material support to the extremist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Authorities said he became radicalised while serving in the Virginia Army National Guard, largely through online sermons of the late extremist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
He served nearly nine years in prison before being released in December 2024 and was reportedly still on probation at the time of the shooting.
Back in Sierra Leone, the incident has sparked shock and condemnation among citizens and members of the diaspora community. Many Sierra Leoneans have expressed sympathy for the victims while distancing the country from acts of extremism.
Community leaders in the United States and Sierra Leone have also urged calm, stressing that the actions of one individual should not define an entire nation or community.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation in collaboration with local law enforcement, while authorities continue to examine the suspect’s background and possible motivations.
Meanwhile, the Sierra Leone Embassy in Washington is said to be monitoring the situation and maintaining contact with U.S. officials as investigations continue.
