Feds Charge Man Who Sold Gun to Convicted Terrorist in University Attack
Finn's Take· TL;DR- ROTC students heroically stopped a campus shooter in three minutes, killing gunman Mohamed Jalloh and preventing further casualties after he fatally shot Lt. Col. Brandon Shah.
- Jalloh, a convicted terrorist released from federal prison three months prior, was legally barred from owning firearms but illegally obtained one through an unlicensed dealer.
- Federal authorities charged Kenya Chapman with illegal gun dealing after he admitted stealing the firearm and selling it to Jalloh, exposing critical gaps in weapons trafficking prevention.
Heroic Students Stop Campus Terror Attack
A deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia ended when ROTC students heroically subdued and killed a gunman who had opened fire in their classroom Thursday morning. Jalloh, who yelled "Allahu akbar" before opening fire, was subdued and killed by ROTC students, according to FBI officials who praised the students' bravery for preventing further harm. The attack claimed the life of Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, a 42-year-old professor of military science and ROTC instructor, while wounding two others.
Old Dominion University Police Chief Garrett Shelton said less than 10 minutes passed between when officers were called about a shooting in the university's business school building and when responders determined the shooter was dead. The gunman, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was a former Army National Guard member with a disturbing criminal history that should have prevented him from accessing firearms.
FBI Director Kash Patel released a statement on Thursday afternoon, sharing that the department is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism , highlighting the serious nature of this attack on American students and faculty.
Convicted Terrorist's Deadly Return
The shooter's background reveals a troubling pattern of extremist activity. Jalloh was a former Army National Guard member who pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to aid the Islamic State extremist group. Jalloh, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in the Islamic State group case, was released from federal custody in December 2024. This means he had been free for just three months before carrying out the attack.
Jalloh was barred from possessing a gun given a previous felony conviction for attempting to aid the Islamic State extremist group. Despite these legal restrictions, he managed to obtain a firearm through illegal channels, exposing critical gaps in the system designed to keep weapons away from dangerous individuals.
Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Sierra Leone, served as a specialist with the Virginia Army National Guard from 2009 until 2015, when he was honorably discharged. His military training, combined with his extremist ideology, made him particularly dangerous when he decided to act on his violent intentions.
Illegal Gun Sale Enables Violence
Federal authorities moved quickly to track down how Jalloh obtained his weapon, leading to charges against Kenya Chapman, 32, of Smithfield, Virginia. Kenya Mcchell Chapman, 32, of Smithfield, Virginia, appeared in federal court today and was charged by criminal complaint with dealing in firearms without a license in connection with the March 12 shooting at Old Dominion University (ODU), and with three counts of making false statements during purchases of firearms.
Chapman told agents in an interview that he stole the gun from a car in Newport News, Virginia, about a year before the shooting and recently sold it to Jalloh. Chapman said he met Jalloh at work and that Jalloh told him he needed the gun for protection as a delivery driver, according to court papers. This illegal transaction directly enabled the violence that followed.
The case underscores how criminal networks can circumvent background check systems, putting deadly weapons in the hands of prohibited persons. Chapman allegedly stole the firearm from a vehicle in Newport News one year before the ODU shooting and sold it to Jalloh days before the ODU shooting.
Community Mourns Fallen Hero
The university community is grieving the loss of Lt. Col. Shah, who was remembered as both an educator and protector. "Above all else, Lt. Col. Shah embodied what it means to be a devoted family man, a revered leader, and heroic protector even in his final moments," Old Dominion President Brian Hemphill said in a Friday message to the university community. The victim who died was Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, a 42-year-old from Chesapeake who leaves behind a spouse and a child .
This tragedy raises urgent questions about monitoring recently released terrorism convicts and preventing illegal gun sales. While ROTC students demonstrated remarkable courage in stopping further violence, the fact that a convicted terrorist could so easily obtain a firearm and access a university classroom demands immediate policy attention. The case will likely fuel debates about both counterterrorism surveillance and gun control measures designed to keep weapons away from prohibited persons.