Old Dominion University (ODU) has stated that federal officials failed to notify the institution about a student's prior conviction for supporting the Islamic State terror group before he was re-enrolled and carried out a deadly attack on campus. The university's independent report indicated that neither the student's federal probation officer nor the FBI informed ODU of Mohamed Bailor Jalloh's criminal history.
Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member, killed Lt. Col. Brandon Shah and injured two students on March 12 in an on-campus ROTC classroom before being subdued by other cadets. He had been convicted in 2016 of attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
"Had ODU known about Jalloh’s criminal history, it is highly likely that ODU would have sought his removal from campus due to the risk he posed, particularly to military-affiliated individuals," the ODU report stated. The university contends that this lack of disclosure led to tragic consequences.
The FBI has stated it is not the agency responsible for notifying colleges about individuals' criminal histories, characterizing it as a "shared responsibility across state, local, federal and community partners." The bureau also noted that Jalloh's convictions were publicly disclosed by the Department of Justice in 2016 and 2017, with multiple press releases still available online.
ODU noted that Virginia law, enacted in 2022, prohibits public universities from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history during the admissions process. Consequently, the university removed such questions from its applications, relying instead on voluntary student disclosures or notifications from external law enforcement.
Under Jalloh's federal supervised release, his probation officer had the authority to require him to disclose his criminal record to third parties. However, the ODU report found no record of such notification being provided to any university office or campus police.
Jalloh also did not voluntarily disclose his 2016 federal terrorism conviction to ODU. According to the report, while Virginia law permits public universities to inquire about criminal history after admission, ODU's policy at the time only applied post-admission background questionnaires to first-time students, excluding readmitted students like Jalloh.
Jalloh had previously enrolled at ODU in 2007. After an academic suspension in 2010, he was readmitted in 2011 following his Army National Guard service. He attended classes through Spring 2012 before stopping his education. Following his 2016 conviction, he served eight years in prison and was released in December 2024. He then applied for readmission as a returning student and was re-enrolled at ODU in 2025.
In response to the incident, ODU has expanded its post-admission criminal history questionnaire to include readmitted students. The report also noted that Jalloh's readmission application did not raise any concerns, and professors who taught him in the months prior to the attack reported no behavioral issues.