Old Dominion University students fought back against a gunman who broke into an ROTC classroom and opened fire, with one of the pupils stabbing the attacker, law enforcement officials said Friday.
After the assailant, identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, started shooting, multiple students attacked him, with one of them stabbing him, two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation told NBC News.
The attacker was subdued by students who “rendered him no longer alive,” according to Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the agency’s Norfolk field office.
Army Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah was killed in the attack, and two other Army personnel were wounded, officials said.
"The Old Dominion University community is grieving following the tragic act of violence on our main campus," according to a statement on the school's ROTC website Friday.
"We mourn with and support Lt. Col. Brandon Shah’s family, students, and colleagues, and all members of the ODU Army ROTC community."
ODU freshman Caleb Hardman praised those who stepped in to subdue the shooter.
"The guy who stopped it (is) a hero," said Hardman, whose roommate was on the first floor of the building where the shooting happened on Thursday.
"He just said he heard the shots and, like, ran as fast as he ever has," Hardman added.
Campus chaplain Brooke Barnett has been meeting with "shocked" and "sad" students in small groups since the shooting.
“They can’t believe it would happen here,” she said.
The 36-year-old Jalloh had been previously convicted of supporting the Islamic State terrorist group and was on probation when he carried out Thursday's deadly attack, according to court documents.
Jalloh had apologized for his actions at his 2017 sentencing hearing, saying it did not represent his values or beliefs.
The FBI said it’s investigating Thursday’s shooting in Norfolk as an act of terrorism.
Federal agents asked for the public's help to learn more about Jalloh.
"The shooting at ODU is a tragic event for our community," according to an FBI statement. "We mourn the loss of life while we acknowledge the students who showed extreme bravery and courage by stopping the shooter and preventing further loss of life. The FBI is going to dig in and track down every single lead as we work alongside our partners to find answers."
