Convicted ISIS Terrorist Released Early From Prison Massacres Army ROTC Instructor at Old Dominion University Before Heroic Students Kill Him

Convicted ISIS Supporter Released Early From Prison Opens Fire on ROTC Class at Old Dominion University, Killed by Students

A convicted ISIS supporter who was released early from federal prison opened fire on a Reserve Officers' Training Corps class at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, on March 12, 2026, killing one and injuring two before students subdued and killed him.

Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, entered Constant Hall on the ODU campus around 10:48 a.m. Thursday, asked if the class was ROTC, then opened fire while shouting "Allahu Akbar," according to federal investigators.

Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, a retired Army officer who was teaching the ROTC class, was killed in the attack. Two ROTC cadets were critically injured. One has since been treated and released, while the other remained in critical condition.

ROTC students in the classroom acted immediately to stop the attack. Members of the group subdued Jalloh, and one student fatally stabbed him with a knife. Law enforcement did not fire a single shot.

If not for them, I'm not sure what else he would have done.

FBI Special Agent Dominique Evans said of the students who stopped the shooter.

Jalloh, a former Virginia National Guardsman who served from 2009 to 2015, pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to ISIS. He was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison in February 2017 but was released on December 23, 2024, under a federal provision that allows inmates who complete a substance abuse treatment program to leave prison early.

The Bureau of Prisons acknowledged that previous leadership had proposed excluding terrorism offenses from the early release provision, but implementation was delayed due to union collective bargaining issues.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is working alongside Norfolk police in the ongoing investigation. Investigators recovered one weapon from the scene and found no explosives.

ODU Campus Shooting: ROTC Students Stop Convicted Terrorist Who Was Released Early From Federal Prison

FBI Director Patel praised the students' response, saying their actions "undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement."

Old Dominion University canceled all classes and suspended operations for the remainder of March 12 and through Friday, March 13, 2026. The university issued an active threat alert at 10:48 a.m. and gave the all clear at 11:43 a.m.

This incident marks the second shooting near the ODU campus in just over a year. In February 2025, two men, Delanio M. Vick, 18, and Timothy G. Williams, 20, were fatally shot in a parking lot near the Broderick Dining Commons.

The Crusader's Opinion

A man convicted of trying to help ISIS was let out of prison early and walked straight into a classroom full of American soldiers in training. Lt. Col. Brandon Shah is dead because the federal government decided a terrorist deserved leniency. Let that sink in. This man pleaded guilty to supporting the most brutal terrorist organization on earth, and our system rewarded him with early release. Thank God for the ROTC students who had the courage and training to stop this jihadist before he slaughtered more innocents. They did what our justice system failed to do: they stopped evil in its tracks. Every bureaucrat who signed off on releasing Mohamed Bailor Jalloh early should answer publicly for Lt. Col. Shah's blood. Christians, this is what happens when a nation abandons the understanding that evil is real. You cannot rehabilitate someone who pledged themselves to a death cult. The wages of sin is death, and our government's sin of weakness cost a hero his life.

Take Action

• Contact your U.S. Senators and Representative to demand that convicted terrorists be permanently excluded from early release programs. Find your representatives at congress.gov.
• Pray for the family of Lt. Col. Brandon Shah and the two injured ROTC cadets. Pray for their healing and for God's comfort over the Shah family.
• Support the families of fallen military and ROTC members through the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS).
• Donate to www.TheShepherdsShield.org to support Christians facing persecution and violence around the world.
• Share this story widely. The mainstream narrative will move on in days. Do not let Lt. Col. Shah's sacrifice or the heroism of those ROTC students be forgotten.