Headline Roundup • March 14th, 2026
Old Dominion University Shooting Highlights Loophole in Early Prison Release Policy
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, who carried out a deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia, had been released from federal prison early after completing a drug treatment program, despite a prior terrorism conviction.
The Details: Jalloh opened fire in a classroom Thursday, killing one person and wounding two others before being subdued and killed by ROTC students. According to multiple news outlets, Jalloh had pleaded guilty in 2017 to providing material support to the terrorist group Islamic State. He received an 11-year prison sentence but was released about 2½ years early after completing the federal Residential Drug Abuse Program. At the time of the attack, Jalloh was on supervised release that was scheduled to last until 2029. Authorities say he obtained a handgun, although he was legally barred from possessing firearms.
Loophole: The Federal Bureau of Prisons said the early release stemmed from a gap in how the drug treatment program's rules were applied. Terrorism-related convictions are generally excluded from sentence reductions, but Jalloh's charge — providing material support to a terrorist group — was not on the program's outdated list of disqualifying offenses. That allowed him to receive time off along with standard good-conduct credits. Officials say the policy has since been revised.
For Context: Jalloh was first arrested in 2016 following an FBI sting operation in which he attempted to send money to ISIS and discussed carrying out a violent attack. Prosecutors initially sought a longer sentence. The shooting victim was identified as Brandon Shah, an Army lieutenant colonel and Old Dominion faculty member.
How the Media Covered It: Media outlets across the political spectrum largely focused on the same details. Reports from The Associated Press (Lean Left bias) and Newsweek (Center) emphasized Jalloh's early prison release and the Bureau of Prisons policy issue. Conversely, a commentary piece on Breitbart News (Right) centered on the university's gun-free campus policy, framing the attack within the broader gun-control debate. Overall facts were similar, but the emphasis differed.
Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Old Dominion University has a gun-free policy for its campus that did not prevent a determined attacker from opening fire on ROTC students with a handgun Thursday. On ODU's website, the "Weapons on Campus" page says:
Possession or carrying of any weapon by any person, except a police officer, is prohibited on university property in academic buildings, administrative office buildings, student residence buildings, or dining facilities, or while attending sporting, entertainment, or educational events. Entry upon the university property described in this section in violation of this chapter is expressly...
Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, the suspect identified by authorities as the shooter at Old Dominion University, was granted early release from prison in 2024 after completion of a drug treatment program, the Associated Press reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via AP
The man who opened fire in a classroom at Virginia's Old Dominion University completed a drug treatment program that allowed him early release from federal prison, even though he was convicted of a terrorism charge that should have disqualified him from that benefit.
Mohamed Bailor Jalloh 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, and was released about 2½ years early, according to prison records.
