An officer carrying a large firearm heads onto Old Dominion Universityâs campus in Norfolk, Virginia, after reports of an active shooter on March 12, 2026. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
A report released this week found that law enforcement officials did not inform Old Dominion University of a student’s terrorism-related criminal history before he began shooting at the Virginia campus.
Mohamed Bailor Jalloh spent eight years in prison for attempting to aid the Islamic State, according to a report produced by the law firm Cooley on behalf of the university. His federal probation officer did not share his criminal background with ODU when he was readmitted to the school.
What they're saying:
"Given that Virginia law requires universities to rely on student self-disclosure, it is even more important that other law enforcement agencies ensure that information that universities need to know to safeguard their students is shared with universities. This critical failure led to tragic consequences here," the report said.
The backstory:
Virginia Gunman Mohamed Bailor Jalloh opened fire in a ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University in March, killing an Army veteran instructor and injuring two students. Prior to the shooting, Jalloh yelled "Allahu Akbar" and was later subdued and killed by ROTC students.
In 2017, Jollah was sentenced to 11 years in prison for providing material to support a designated foreign terrorist organization. He previously attended Old Dominion but was suspended in 2010 and readmitted in 2025, one year after his release from prison.
Virginia universities are prohibited from asking about a student’s criminal history
Under state law in Virginia, Old Dominion University was not allowed to inquire about student criminal history as a condition of admission or readmission. State laws ban those types of questions on college applications.
According to the report, Old Dominion does not do background checks on admitted students, but can ask readmitted students to voluntarily disclose their criminal history.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.