ISIS-Linked ODU Shooter Freed 2 Years Before Attack
13th March 2026
Court documents show less than two years after Mohamed Bailor Jalloh was released from prison for attempting to aid the Islamic State group, he opened fire in a classroom at Virginia’s Old Dominion University on Thursday before ROTC students subdued and killed him.
The shooting that left one person dead and two others injured has raised questions about why Jalloh, who the FBI identified as the gunman, was imprisoned and the conditions of his release — with some elected officials questioning how someone with known ties to the Islamic State group was able to carry out such an attack.
“The horrific tragedy that occurred today on ODU’s campus never should have happened,” Rep. Jen Kiggans, who represents the congressional district neighboring the university, wrote on Facebook.