Convicted Terrorist’s FREEDOM Ends in BLOODSHED

Sign for Old Dominion University at the campus entrance

A convicted ISIS supporter who attempted to provide material support to terrorists walked free from federal prison just fifteen months before opening fire on Old Dominion University’s campus, killing an ROTC instructor and wounding two others in what the FBI now confirms was a terrorist attack.

Story Snapshot

Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, convicted in 2016 for conspiring with ISIS, was released from federal prison in December 2024 after completing a drug treatment program
On March 12, 2026, Jalloh opened fire in an ODU classroom, shouting “Allahu Akbar,” killing Lt. Col. Brandon Shah and injuring two ROTC members
ROTC students subdued and killed the gunman before police arrived, preventing further casualties
The FBI is investigating the attack as terrorism, raising urgent questions about monitoring convicted terrorists after release

Federal Prison Release Preceded Campus Terror Attack

Mohamed Bailor Jalloh left federal Bureau of Prisons custody in December 2024 after completing a drug treatment program, despite his 2016 conviction for conspiring with ISIS members and attempting to provide material support to the designated terrorist organization. The 36-year-old former Army National Guardsman had been sentenced in 2017 following his guilty plea. Just fifteen months after his release, Jalloh entered Constant Hall at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and opened fire in a classroom around 10:45 a.m. on March 12, 2026, targeting ROTC members.

ISIS Connections and Prior Radicalization

Jalloh’s path to radicalization began when he met ISIS members in Nigeria and expressed interest in staging an attack similar to the devastating 2009 Fort Hood shooting that claimed thirteen lives and wounded thirty-two others. An ISIS operative connected Jalloh to what he believed was a source in the United States, but federal authorities had already infiltrated the network—the contact was actually an FBI informant. Jalloh was honorably discharged from the Army National Guard in 2015, one year before his guilty plea to terrorism charges. This case exemplifies the dangerous consequences of releasing convicted terrorists back into society without adequate safeguards or monitoring.

ROTC Heroes Stop Terror Attack

Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, an ROTC instructor, was killed in the initial gunfire, but his students acted with remarkable courage and training. Within minutes of Jalloh shouting “Allahu Akbar” and opening fire, ROTC students subdued and killed the gunman using means other than firearms, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans. Two additional ROTC members suffered injuries—one remained in critical condition while another was treated and released. The students’ decisive action prevented what could have become a mass casualty event, demonstrating the value of military training and the warrior spirit that stands in stark contrast to soft-on-crime policies.

Failed Federal Oversight Raises Accountability Questions

The FBI confirmed the shooting was a terrorist attack based on Jalloh’s prior ISIS conviction, his statement before opening fire, and his apparent targeting of military personnel. Yet the federal system allowed this convicted terrorist to walk free after completing a drug program rather than serving his full sentence for attempting to support America’s deadliest enemies. Old Dominion University canceled classes for the remainder of the week and established counseling services, while Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger mobilized state support. The investigation continues, but the core failure remains unaddressed: a system that prioritized rehabilitation programs over public safety, releasing a man who had pledged support to ISIS and expressed admiration for the Fort Hood massacre.

Old Dominion shooter was released from prison early after completing drug program https://t.co/Q2EpfYU6cq

— KSLA News 12 (@KSLA) March 14, 2026

This tragedy underscores the fundamental problem with lenient criminal justice policies that treat terrorism as a disease to be cured rather than an ideology to be defeated. When federal authorities release convicted terrorists who conspired with ISIS, they gamble with American lives. The heroic ROTC students at Old Dominion prevented greater carnage, but Lt. Col. Shah paid the ultimate price for a system that failed to keep a known terrorist threat behind bars where he belonged. The American people deserve answers about who authorized this early release and what monitoring, if any, was conducted after Jalloh left federal custody.