Mohamed Jalloh Named as Old Dominion University Suspect: Report

Mohamed Jalloh was named by The New York Post and CBS News as the alleged Old Dominion University shooting suspect.

His full name is Mohamed Bailor Jalloh. According to The Post, Mohamed Jalloh, who is deceased, shot and killed "a retired military officer during an ROTC class." The Army Secretary Dan Driscoll confirmed on X that two "Army personnel" were injured, calling the incident "terrible." He has a previous conviction for a foiled plot to stage an attack in the U.S. by providing material support to ISIS, according ot the U.S. Department of Justice.

Police said in a press conference that three people were injured in the shooting and one died; however, they have not confirmed the suspect's name. The victims have not been named. The U.S. Army Cadet Command confirmed to WAVY.com that two of the three victims were members of the university’s ROTC program; the other two victims are in stable condition. Old Dominion University is located in Norfolk, VA.

Mohamed Jalloh Was Previously Accused of 'Trying to Support ISIS,' Reports Say

According to The Post, Mohamed Jalloh was "an ex-National Guard soldier convicted of trying to support ISIS."

CBS News also confirmed that information via sources, reporting, "Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Virginia National Guardsman who pleaded guilty in October 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the terror group ISIS." According to CBS News, he received 11 years in prison and was released in 2024.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a press release, "Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 27, of Sterling, Virginia, and a former member of the Army National Guard, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison and five years supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization."

The press release says that Jalloh "pleaded guilty on Oct. 27, 2016. According to court documents, in March 2016, a now-deceased member of ISIL who was located overseas brokered an introduction between Jalloh and an individual in the U.S. who was actually an FBI confidential human source (CHS)."

Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Decided Not to Re-Enlist in the Virginia Army National Guard After 'Listening to Online Lectures' by an Al-Qaeda Leader, DOJ Says

The ISIL member "was actively plotting an attack in the U.S. and believed the attack would be carried out with the assistance of Jalloh and the CHS," the release adds. "Jalloh met with the CHS on two occasions and told the CHS he was a former member of the Virginia Army National Guard, but that he decided not to re-enlist after listening to online lectures by Anwar al-Awlaki, a deceased leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula."

The release continues: "Jalloh had recently taken a six-month trip to Africa where he had met with ISIL members in Nigeria and first began communicating online with the ISIL member who later brokered his introduction to the CHS. During their meeting, Jalloh also told the CHS he thought about conducting an attack all the time, and that he was close to doing so at one point."

Jalloh claimed to know "how to shoot guns and praised the gunman who killed five U.S. military members in a terrorist attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in July 2015. Jalloh also stated he had been thinking about conducting an attack similar to the terrorist attack at Ft. Hood, Texas, in November 2009, which killed 13 people and wounded 32 others," adds the release.

It adds: "On July 2, 2016 Jalloh went to a gun dealership in northern Virginia, where he test-fired and purchased an assault rifle. Unbeknownst to Jalloh, the rifle was rendered inoperable before he left the dealership with the weapon. Jalloh was arrested the following day and the FBI seized the rifle."

Mohamed Jalloh Is Accused of Storming Into an ROTC Class

Law enforcement sources told The Post that Jalloh "stormed into a classroom inside ODU’s Constant Hall and asked if it was an ROTC class." After receiving that confirmation, he shot and killed the professor, the news site reported.

Authorities have not confirmed the suspect's name or background. In the news conference, they did not release any details of motive. The Post reported that an ROTC student stopped the attack by "stabbing" Jalloh.

“Earlier today, March 12, 2026, Old Dominion University faced a tragedy on our main campus. I am grateful for the swift response of our police officers, emergency management personnel, and our partners at the City of Norfolk who promptly assisted the injured,” the university wrote. “Shortly before 10:49 a.m., a gunman in Constant Hall opened fire….Old Dominion University Police, Norfolk Police and emergency personnel responded; immediately. The gunman is now deceased. The injured were transported to a local hospital.” The shooter is also deceased, according to the university.

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