Old Dominion University shooting exposes failure to share terrorist conviction of student

A report commissioned by Old Dominion University found that the school was unaware that student Mohamed Bailor Jalloh had a federal terrorism conviction. Jalloh had served eight years in prison for attempting to aid the Islamic State and was released early in December 2024. His probation officer did not inform the university of his criminal background, and Virginia law prohibited the university from asking about his history before admission or readmission.

After re‑enrolling, Jalloh entered a ROTC classroom in March, opened fire, killing Army veteran instructor Lt. Col. Brandon Shah and injuring two students. Cadets disarmed him and attempted to save the wounded instructor. The investigation concluded that, had the university known of Jalloh’s conviction, it likely would have removed him from campus. The report, prepared by law firm Cooley, recommended changes to improve information sharing and campus safety.

University President Brian O. Hemphill pledged to implement the recommendations, emphasizing the need for better coordination between law‑enforcement agencies and higher‑education institutions.