Crime
Suspect and One Victim Dead, Two Others Injured in Shooting at Old Dominion University
Authorities have confirmed that one person was killed, two others were injured, and the suspected gunman is dead following a shooting on the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
University officials issued an “all clear” notification shortly after noon, stating that the emergency had ended and there was no longer an active threat to the campus community. However, authorities advised students and the public to continue avoiding the area around Constant Hall, where investigators and emergency crews remained on scene.
During a press conference held at approximately 2:00 p.m., ODU Police Chief Garrett Shelton confirmed that one victim had died, while two other victims were injured and are now reported to be in stable condition.
One of the injured individuals transported themselves to a hospital in Virginia Beach.
According to officials, officers responded to reports of gunfire inside Constant Hall at approximately 10:50 a.m. When police arrived, they located the suspected gunman deceased. Authorities have not yet publicly released details regarding how the suspect died.
Both injured victims were transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital at approximately 11:15 a.m., initially reported to be in critical condition.
In a statement, U.S. Army Cadet Command confirmed that two of the victims were members of the university’s ROTC program.
“We are deeply saddened by the active shooter incident that occurred at Old Dominion University on March 12, 2026. We can confirm that two members of the university ROTC program were shot and were taken to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries.”
Following the incident, ODU officials issued an all-clear message at approximately 12:15 p.m., informing students and staff that the immediate threat had been neutralized but advising the community to avoid Constant Hall while the investigation continues.
ODU President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. released a statement expressing condolences and gratitude to first responders.
“Earlier today, 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 with the City of Norfolk who assisted the injured.”
In response to the shooting, Old Dominion University canceled all classes and suspended operations on the main campus for the remainder of March 12, and the university also announced that the campus would remain closed on Friday.
A Family Information Center was established at Chartway Arena, specifically in the Big Blue Room, for relatives seeking information about loved ones.
Students, faculty, and staff were directed to Broderick Dining Commons, where counseling services and support resources were made available. Additional counseling assistance, including the Talk Campus 24-hour peer support platform, was also offered to students.
Witnesses described the chaotic moments when the incident began. Logan Hayes, an ODU sophomore, said he was inside Constant Hall taking a test when the situation unfolded.
According to Hayes, the building’s fire alarm sounded, prompting students to evacuate the building quickly as the emergency response began.
The incident also prompted precautionary safety measures at nearby schools. Norfolk Public Schools confirmed that Larchmont Elementary School, James Monroe Elementary School, and W. H. Taylor Elementary School were placed on secure hold while police responded to the situation.
Officials also confirmed that students from nearly every high school in Norfolk were visiting the ODU campus for a SOAR tour at the time of the shooting. Those students were sheltered in place, and authorities later confirmed that all visiting students and staff were accounted for and safe.
School officials asked parents to avoid the campus area due to the large police presence while the situation was being handled.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation. FBI Director Kash Patel stated on social media that federal agents are working alongside local authorities to support the response and investigative efforts.
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and officials say additional updates will be released as more information becomes available.
Authorities continue to investigate the deadly shooting that occurred on March 12, 2026, at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, an incident that left one person dead, two others injured, and the suspected gunman deceased. While the investigation remains ongoing, reports circulating online have suggested that the suspect may have been Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former member of the Army National Guard who was previously convicted in a federal terrorism case.
Law enforcement officials have not yet publicly confirmed the identity of the shooter, and investigators continue working to verify details surrounding the suspect’s background and any possible motive.
According to federal court records, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh is a U.S. citizen and former member of the United States Army and the Army National Guard. In October 2016, he pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the extremist organization Islamic State (ISIS).
An affidavit filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation indicated that Jalloh left the National Guard after becoming increasingly influenced by the teachings of Anwar al-Awlaki, a deceased cleric associated with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Investigators said Jalloh began researching Awlaki after encountering media coverage that described the cleric as a radical preacher, which led him to listen to the cleric’s online lectures.
According to the FBI affidavit, during conversations in 2016 with a confidential human source, Jalloh allegedly stated that Awlaki’s teachings convinced him that Muslims had a duty to resist U.S. military operations overseas. Investigators also said Jalloh referenced the 2014 declaration of a so-called caliphate by ISIS, stating that it reinforced his belief that the group represented a legitimate Islamic authority.
ISIS, an extremist militant organization that emerged from conflicts in Iraq and Syria, has been responsible for numerous attacks and insurgent operations across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia. The group has also inspired or directed attacks in several countries worldwide.
Reports indicate that Jalloh served time in federal prison following his conviction and was reportedly released in 2024, though authorities have not publicly confirmed whether he is connected to the shooting at Old Dominion University.
The shooting occurred at approximately 10:50 a.m. inside Constant Hall, a building located on the university’s main campus. Officers with the Old Dominion University Police Department responded within minutes after receiving reports of gunfire.
When police arrived at the scene, they discovered the suspected gunman deceased. Authorities have not yet disclosed how the suspect died.
Two victims were transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital at approximately 11:15 a.m. in critical condition. Officials later reported that both victims survived and are now in stable condition. One injured individual reportedly transported themselves to a hospital in Virginia Beach for treatment.
In a statement following the incident, the U.S. Army Cadet Command confirmed that two of the victims were members of the university’s ROTC program.
At approximately 12:15 p.m., university officials issued an “all clear” notification, informing students and staff that the immediate threat had been neutralized. However, authorities advised the public to avoid the area surrounding Constant Hall as investigators continued to process the scene.
During a press conference held at approximately 2:00 p.m., ODU Police Chief Garrett Shelton confirmed that one victim had died and two others had been injured, while the suspected gunman was found dead at the location.
ODU President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. released a statement expressing condolences to the victims and gratitude to first responders who quickly responded to the emergency.
“Earlier today, 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 with the City of Norfolk who assisted the injured.”
In response to the incident, the university canceled all classes and suspended operations for the remainder of March 12, and officials announced that campus would remain closed the following day.
A Family Information Center was established at Chartway Arena to assist relatives seeking information about loved ones. Counseling and support services were also made available at Broderick Dining Commons, along with online resources including the Talk Campus peer support platform.
Students inside Constant Hall described chaotic moments as the situation unfolded. ODU sophomore Logan Hayes said he was taking an exam when the building’s fire alarm began sounding, prompting students to evacuate quickly as emergency responders arrived on campus.
The incident also triggered precautionary safety measures in the surrounding community. Norfolk Public Schools confirmed that Larchmont Elementary School, James Monroe Elementary School, and W. H. Taylor Elementary School were placed on secure hold while police responded to the emergency.
Officials also said that students from nearly every high school in Norfolk were visiting the university for a SOAR campus tour at the time of the shooting. Those visiting students were sheltered in place, and authorities later confirmed that all visiting students and staff were accounted for and safe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting local authorities in the investigation. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that federal agents are working alongside local law enforcement to help process evidence and determine the motive and background of the suspect.
Officials emphasized that the identity of the shooter and any potential connection to prior criminal or extremist activity has not yet been officially confirmed. Investigators continue to analyze evidence from the scene as they work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the attack.
Authorities say additional updates will be released as more information becomes available as the investigation progresses.