Virginia university didn’t know of student’s conviction before campus shooting, report says

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A student who spent eight years in prison for attempting to aid the Islamic State and who opened fire in a classroom at Old Dominion University in March was not asked about his criminal history before or after he was readmitted to the school in Norfolk, Virginia, according to an investigative report released Tuesday.

Mohamed Bailor Jalloh’s probation officer also did not share Jalloh’s criminal background with the university, despite the serious nature of the offense, the report said. Had the university known about Jalloh’s criminal history, it’s likely officials would have sought his removal from campus, the report said.

Under state law, the university is not permitted to inquire about student criminal history before admission or readmission but can do so after a student has been readmitted, according to the report.

“Given that Virginia law requires universities to rely on student self-disclosure, it is even more important that other law enforcement agencies ensure that information that universities need to know to safeguard their students is shared with universities. This critical failure led to tragic consequences here,” according to the report, which was produced by the law firm Cooley and released Tuesday.

Jalloh, a former member of the Virginia national guard, was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2017 to providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State group, according to prison records. He completed a drug treatment program that allowed him early release from federal prison.

In March, after re-enrolling at the university, Jalloh entered a classroom, asked whether it was an ROTC class and after students answered affirmatively, he opened fire, according to authorities and the report.

Authorities and cadets who were in the room said they stabbed and disarmed Jalloh and then frantically tried to save the life of an instructor who had grappled with the gunman.

The instructor, Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, was fatally wounded.

The university’s president said the report also shed new light on the “extraordinary heroism and bravery” shown by Shah and the cadets.

“The campus community has my complete assurance that we will act quickly to fully implement Cooley’s recommendations as we actively work to make our campus as safe and secure as possible,” university President Brian O. Hemphill said in a statement.