Army ROTC cadets recount taking down pro-ISIS shooter at Old Dominion University: 'I could have been next'

For the archetypal time, the heroic students who helped instrumentality down an progressive shooter that killed a beloved prof and assemblage subordinate astatine Old Dominion University are telling their story, recounting the harrowing events of that day.

Mohamed Jalloh, a antheral antecedently convicted of providing worldly to enactment the Islamic State panic group, opened occurrence astatine the assemblage connected Thursday, March 12, sidesplitting 1 and injuring 2 others.

Jalloh was pronounced dormant astatine the country connected Thursday erstwhile officers arrived. 

Beloved prof of subject subject Lt. Col. Brandon Shah was killed. FBI Special Agent successful Charge Dominique Evans told reporters that the students successful the country during the incidental "subdued" the gunman.

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Old Dominion University cadets Louis Ancheta and Wesley Myers described neutralizing the attacker who killed Lt. Col. Brandon Shah during a March 12 shooting successful Norfolk, Virginia. (Army ROTC)

Students progressive successful the incidental reflected connected that day, saying it was a time similar immoderate other.

During the people period, a pupil said a antheral they didn't recognize, aboriginal identified arsenic Jalloh, walked into the schoolroom and repeatedly and nervously asked if this people was ROTC.

"I wasn't reasoning astir what that question truly meant," said Cadet Louis Ancheta.

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Lt. Col. Brandon Shah was identified arsenic the teacher killed successful Thursday's deadly shooting astatine Old Dominion University. (US Army)

As Shah confirmed the people was ROTC, Cadet Wesley Myers, who was successful people that day, said Jalloh shouted "Allahu Akbar" and began shooting astatine Shah.

Instincts instantly kicked successful and Shah lunged toward the gunman, according to the students. 

As Shah wrestled with the gunman, Ancheta leaped into action, taking a pocket-knife and repeatedly stabbing Jalloh.

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"If helium didn't lunge astatine him, I wouldn't beryllium present close now," said Cadet Jah-Ira Utarte, who was sitting successful the beforehand enactment of the schoolroom astatine the time, said successful an interrogation released by the Department of War. "There's a anticipation helium could've turned his weapon and I could've been next."

In a March 22 ceremony, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer presented honors to Old Dominion University Army ROTC cadets, acknowledging their bravery and sacrifice during a schoolroom shooting earlier successful the month. (Ian Ives/U.S. Army)

Ancheta said during the warring betwixt his prof and the gunman, helium was changeable by a stray bullet.

"It truly didn't consciousness similar it deed me," Ancheta said. He continued to effort to subdue the gunman alongside Shah and different cadets jumped in.

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Once the weapon was distant from Jalloh, Cadet Jeremy Rawlinson said they instantly switched to combat care.

"It conscionable was what I felt I had to bash successful that moment, to get determination and bash what I could," Myers said. "It's antithetic erstwhile it's not a mannequin and it's your friend."

Cadet Samuel Reineberg said helium was "like a laser beam" to Shah, who had been changeable successful the chest.

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Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, the idiosyncratic identified arsenic the shooter astatine ODU connected Thursday, March 12, 2026. (The Intercept)

It wasn't until aboriginal that day, the students recovered retired astir Shah's death.

"There was decidedly a consciousness of, ‘could we person done more?’" Cadet Oshea Bego said.

Shah is regarded arsenic a leader among his students.

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"[Shah] utilized the past of his spot to tackle that feline and it gave america conscionable capable clip that we needed to beryllium capable to get connected [the gunman]," Rawlinson said.

"One of the past things helium told my ma erstwhile they met this summertime was that helium would instrumentality attraction of me. He followed done connected that word," Bego said.

"We’re not adjacent commissioned yet and we’re dealing with these threats and beauteous overmuch unprecedented attacks," Bego said.

Brian O. Hemphill, the president of ODU, said the assemblage volition beryllium conducting an autarkic reappraisal pursuing the incidental successful a connection connected Thursday. Hemphill described the shooting arsenic a "defining moment" successful the university’s history.

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"This is not simply a procedural step; it is simply a motivation imperative to guarantee the information and information of each subordinate of our field assemblage remains archetypal and foremost," Hemphill said successful the statement.

The reappraisal volition analyse "critical procedures," "overall preparedness" and "[the university’s] response," according to the release.