ROTC cadet fatally stabs gunman to stop campus shooting at Old Dominion University

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA: A Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) student fatally stabbed the gunman who opened fire in a classroom at Old Dominion University on Thursday, March 12. His quick action stopped the attacker and likely saved more lives.

The shooting began just before 10:50 am in the university’s technology building in Norfolk. The gunman fired several shots, injuring two people.

Authorities identified the suspect as a former member of the Army National Guard. Officials said he had previously been sentenced to 11 years in prison and was released from federal custody in December 2024.

ROTC student stabs gunman, stops further carnage at university 

The cadet bravely stopped the gunman who began shooting in the classroom. At a press briefing, Dominique Evans of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the ROTC students showed “extreme bravery and courage” when they confronted the suspect, identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh.

The heroic action helped stop the violence and prevented more people from being killed or injured. Evans said the students were able to overpower the attacker and “rendered him no longer alive,” adding, “I don’t know how else to say it.”

She did not provide further details about how the suspect was stopped, but confirmed that the gunman was not shot. Investigators said Jalloh had hoped to carry out an attack similar to the mass killings at Fort Hood, according to the NYC Post.

Authorities are investigating the shooting as a violent incident. In a social media post, Kash Patel, director of the FBI, said the gunman is dead because of “a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him.”

Meanwhile, Jimmy Delongchamp, a spokesperson for the US Army Cadet Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky, told The Associated Press that the two injured people are members of the Army ROTC program at the university.

“We will continue to coordinate with the university and law enforcement agencies as they investigate the incident,” Delongchamp said. “There’s still a lot more stuff we have to work out,” he added. 

Shooter dead within 10 minutes as police respond

At a press conference, Garrett Shelton said police received calls about shots being fired in a classroom inside Constant Hall, the building that houses the university’s business school. 

Officers rushed to the scene after people reported that several individuals had been shot. Shelton said the situation was brought under control very quickly. “Within a matter of less than 10 minutes, the call came in, officers arrived, and they determined the shooter was dead,” he said, according to CTV News.

Initially, officials said two people were hurt. Later, police learned that a third injured person had already gone to a hospital on their own. He added that the investigation is still in its early stages and the “full cause of death” of the suspect has not yet been confirmed.