(The Center Square) – Authorities in Virginia have identified the suspected gunman in Thursday’s deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the investigation is as an act of terrorism. The gunman and one other person died; two others were injured.
Federal court records show a man with that name in 2016 pleaded guilty in a terrorism-related case involving attempts to provide support to the Islamic State group, according to a release from the Justice Department.
Old Dominion University issued an emergency alert earlier in the day warning of an “active threat” near Constant Hall, home to the institution’s business school.
University officials later announced there was no longer an active threat on campus.
Norfolk police referred media inquiries about the investigation to the FBI.
Federal authorities told The Center Square additional updates are expected during a forthcoming press briefing.
First-term Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger said Virginia State Police are assisting local and federal authorities responding to the incident.
“Virginia State Police is on the scene and providing full support to local and federal officials,” Spanberger said in a statement.
Classes and operations at the university were canceled through Friday.
University President Brian Hemphill’s message said, “The safety of our campus community is my top priority. We are deeply committed to safeguarding all Monarchs and ensuring a secure learning, living, and working environment at all times.”
Old Dominion is home to roughly 17,500 undergraduates among its 24,000 student population.
Ramin Fatehi, prosecutor since 2006 and commonwealth attorney in Norfolk since 2022, at a press conference with authorities and Hemphill laid blame with Republicans and the United States Supreme Court – considered a 6-3 conservative majority – despite the suspect’s conviction as supporter of ISIS.
“We live in a county where people care more about guns than they care about 6-year-old children,” he said. “They care more about guns than they care about the synagogue worshipers. And they care more about guns than they do about college students.
“What that means is it does not matter how hard President Hemphill works, how hard the chiefs work, somebody will be a victim eventually. It’s a matter of time. And until there is the political will to break the spell of the cult of gun absolutism, you will see more incidents like this. If you’re looking for somebody to blame, don’t look at anybody up here. Look at our lawmakers who don’t have the courage to implement sensible gun control measures. Look to the Supreme Court that enables them and do something about it.”
In the first dozen days of March, the incident in Virginia is added to an attack on a synagogue in Michigan; anti-Islam protestors attacked by ISIS supporters in New York City; and a suspect in the Austin, Texas, shooting wearing “property of Allah” gear.
