A shooting occurred on the 12th (local time) at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, a coastal city in Virginia, leaving two people dead, including the gunman, and two injured. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it is treating the incident as a terrorist act and has launched an investigation.
According to major foreign media, including Reuters and CNN, at about 10:49 a.m. a gunman opened fire in Constant Hall, the business school's central building at Old Dominion University. All three victims were reportedly affiliated with the university. The three victims were treated at a hospital, but one of them died. The two injured people in stable condition were identified as being in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program. U.S. Army Minister Dan Driscoll said on social media that the two are with the Army.
The Associated Press, citing sources, said the gunman was Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former member of the Virginia National Guard, who served eight years after being convicted in 2016 of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State (IS). He was sentenced to 11 years but was released early in Dec. 2024.
FBI Director-General Kash Patel said, "The gunman is now dead, and that is thanks to brave students who intervened at great risk and subdued him," adding, "The FBI is currently investigating this shooting as an act of terrorism."
Old Dominion University is a public research university with about 24,000 students. Norfolk Naval Station, the largest U.S. Navy base, is nearby, and about 30% of students are reportedly connected to the military.