Old Dominion Shooting Victims Were Part of ROTC Program
Two of the three victims in the Old Dominion University shooting were members of the ROTC program.
The victims' identities and the suspect's name and motive have not been released. However, CBS News and The New York Post are reporting that the suspect is Mohamed Jalloh, a former Virginia National Guardsman previously convicted of providing material support to ISIS, and the deceased victim was an ROTC class professor.
The U.S. Army Cadet Command confirmed to WAVY.com that two of the three victims were members of the university’s ROTC program. According to the television station, one victim has died, and two were in stable condition; it was not immediately clear whether the deceased victim was part of the ROTC program, however.
"Earlier today, March 12, 2026, Old Dominion University faced a tragedy on our main campus. I am grateful for the swift response of our police officers, emergency management personnel, and our partners at the City of Norfolk who promptly assisted the injured," the university wrote on its website. "Shortly before 10:49 a.m., a gunman in Constant Hall opened fire....Old Dominion University Police, Norfolk Police and emergency personnel responded; immediately. The gunman is now deceased. The injured were transported to a local hospital." The shooter is also deceased, according to the university.
Video Showed an Injured Person Being Carried Away by Law Enforcement Officers Who Descended on the Old Dominion University Campus
The university referred to the tragedy as an "active shooter incident" early on. The shooter "has been neutralized," the university wrote.
"Due to the incident, Old Dominion University has canceled classes and suspended operations on main campus for the remainder of the day, March 12, 2026. Due to the ongoing investigation, please avoid the area in and around Constant Hall," the university added.
RAW FOOTAGE: NORFOLK POLICE SWARM ODU ACTIVE SHOOTER SUSPECT
— Desiree (@DesireeAmerica4) March 12, 2026
The response time here is absolute textbook. While an active shooter situation triggered mass panic at Old Dominion University, heavily armed Norfolk police officers instantly swarmed and neutralized the threat on the… pic.twitter.com/2jQseRKthT
A video that circulated on Facebook and X showed officers tending to a person lying on a sidewalk, although the graphic aspects of the video are blurred out. Officers then carried the person away. It is not clear whether that person is a suspect or one of the victims, however. A witness said she heard people saying, "get out," possibly to the suspect.
Students at Old Dominion University described the moments shots rang out at Constant Hall on Thursday morning.
— The National Desk (@TND) March 12, 2026
One student said she was waiting for her midterm exam when she heard a group telling someone, whom she assumes was the suspect, to “Get out.” She told WVEC that after… pic.twitter.com/fq7nSO3bni
In a press conference posted by WTKR-TV, authorities said that one of the victims "took themselves to the hospital in Virginia Beach." All of the victims were affiliated with the university.
The U.S. Army Cadet Command Confirmed That 2 Members of the University's ROTC Program 'Were Shot'
(Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
According to WAVY.com, the U.S. Army Cadet Command said, “We are deeply saddened from the active shooter incident that occurred at Old Dominion University on March 12, 2026. We can confirm that two members of the university ROTC program were shot and were taken to a local hospital to treat their injuries.”
ROTC stands for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
Old Dominion University describes itself as "Virginia's entrepreneurial-minded doctoral research university." The university is located in Norfolk, VA.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X, "Our @FBI and @ATFHQ agents are on the scene assisting local authorities at Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Please pray."
Around the same time, authorities were dealing with a separate active shooter situation at a synagogue in Michigan. "FBI personnel are on the scene with partners in Michigan and responding to the apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation out of Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan," FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X. He also wrote that the FBI was assisting at Old Dominion University.