On Thursday, March 12, 2026, at roughly 10:43 a.m., a shooter entered an Army ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and started fire, causing a targeted shooting inside Constant Hall. Situated in the middle of campus, next to the football stadium, the building that houses the university’s College of Business is a focal point for both academic and military science studies.
Multiple emergency calls prompted an immediate response from campus police and Norfolk authorities who arrived within minutes to secure the scene while ROTC cadets inside the classroom acted swiftly to subdue the attacker ending the threat before it could spread further across the bustling university grounds. Constant Hall remains closed as investigators process the site at 49th Street on the ODU campus in Norfolk.
The victim was identified as Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah, 42, a retired U.S. Army officer serving as professor of military science and chair of the Army ROTC Monarch Battalion at Old Dominion University. A decorated combat pilot who logged more than 1 200 flight hours including 600 in combat aboard AH-64 Apache helicopters during tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe Shah had returned to his alma mater to mentor the next generation of soldiers.
Colleagues and university leaders described him as a devoted family man revered leader and heroic protector who embodied service even in his final moments when he shielded students during the attack. Shah a Virginia native and ODU alumnus left behind his wife and young child.
The shooter was Mohamed Bailor Jalloh 36 a current Old Dominion University student and former Virginia Army National Guard member who had previously pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to ISIS and was released from federal prison in December 2024. Jalloh entered the ROTC classroom asked twice to confirm it was an ROTC event then shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire with a handgun whose serial number had been obliterated.
The FBI’s Norfolk field office is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism examining Jalloh’s background prior convictions and possible motives tied to ongoing global conflicts. No other suspects have been identified and officials have confirmed the incident was isolated to Constant Hall with no ongoing threat to the campus or community.
Two ROTC cadets sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at nearby hospitals while the shooter was killed by the cadets who subdued him preventing additional casualties. The swift actions of the students were praised by law enforcement as instrumental in limiting the loss of life during the morning class session.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger ordered flags across the commonwealth lowered to half-staff in honor of Lt. Col. Shah’s service and sacrifice while university president Brian Hemphill issued a statement expressing deepest sympathy to Shah’s family colleagues and the entire Monarch community.
The Old Dominion University community has rallied in remembrance of Lt. Col. Brandon Shah with tributes highlighting his role as a shining example for students and a true hero who protected others in his final moments inside Constant Hall. School officials activated grief support for students and staff while local leaders and military networks offered condolences to Shah’s wife and young child.
The joint investigation by the FBI and local authorities continues with emphasis on reviewing surveillance footage witness accounts and digital evidence from the scene at Constant Hall. Officials have urged anyone with information to contact the FBI Norfolk field office or campus police while emphasizing the bravery of the ROTC cadets who ended the threat. As the commonwealth mourns this loss the focus remains on honoring the legacy of Lt. Col. Brandon Shah whose impact on the Army ROTC program at Old Dominion University will endure in Norfolk Virginia.
