ODU gunman who killed ROTC instructor had prior ISIS conviction, was released early
The suspect authorities say killed an ROTC instructor at Old Dominion University had previously been convicted of providing material support to ISIS but received a shorter prison sentence than federal...
By Fox News · Fox News
The suspect authorities say killed an ROTC instructor at Old Dominion University had previously been convicted of providing material support to ISIS but received a shorter prison sentence than federal prosecutors sought before his release in 2024, according to court records. Mohamed Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Sierra Leone, entered a classroom Thursday at the Norfolk school and opened fire after confirming it was an ROTC class, killing Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, authorities said. The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office said ROTC cadets physically subdued Jalloh and stopped the attack, adding that their actions "rendered [him] no longer alive." "The horrific tragedy that occurred today on ODU’s campus never should have happened," Rep. Jennifer Kiggans, R-Va., said following the attack. Court records show Jalloh was arrested in 2016 for providing material support to ISIS. MAMDANI AVOIDS ‘RADICAL ISLAMIC TERROR’ PHRASE AFTER ISIS-INSPIRED NYC ATTACK, ECHOING OBAMA-ERA DEBATE Federal prosecutors sought a 20-year prison sentence, but Senior U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady ultimately sentenced him to 132 months — roughly 11 years. According to prosecutors, a now-deceased ISIS member overseas arranged contact between Jalloh and an individual he believed to be a fellow supporter but who was actually an FBI confidential human source. Investigators said Jalloh also traveled to Nigeria in connection with the plot. The overseas terrorist wanted an attack carried out, while Jalloh told the FBI source he decided not to renew his enlistment with the Virginia Army National Guard after listening to lectures from Al Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki — a New Mexico native against whom President Barack Obama ordered a fatal drone strike in 2011. "The defendant was fully aware of what he was doing, and the consequences of those actions. His only misgivings seemed to be a fear that he would waver at the critical moment," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum obtained by…