Old Dominion University shooting exposes federal failure to flag terrorist conviction

On March 12, 2026, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh opened fire in an ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia, shouting “Allahu Akbar” before killing an Army veteran instructor and wounding two students. Jalloh had previously been convicted in 2016 of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State and had served in the Army National Guard.

An independent university‑commissioned investigation found that federal authorities—including the FBI, Jalloh’s probation officer and the Department of Justice—did not notify ODU of his terrorism‑related conviction. The FBI clarified it is not the agency responsible for alerting colleges about criminal histories, noting that such notification is a shared responsibility among state, local, federal and community partners. The report concluded that, had the university been aware of Jalloh’s past, it likely would have moved to remove him from campus.