Terrorism probe after fatal US university shooting

A terrorism investigation has been opened into a US university shooting in which a gunman killed one person and injured two others.

Reserve Officers' Training Corp students subdued and killed the gunman who yelled "Allahu Akbar" before opening fire in an Old Dominion University classroom in Norfolk, Virginia, according to the FBI.

The FBI said the shooter had been in the army and pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to aid the Islamic State.

FBI special agent Dominique Evans said at a news conference the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) students showed "extreme bravery and courage" and prevented further loss of life by stopping the suspect, identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh.

The ROTC students subdued him and "rendered him no longer alive", Evans said. "I don't know how else to say it."

She didn't provide further details about that except to confirm the gunman wasn't shot.

The shooting on Thursday, US time, is being investigated as an act of terrorism, FBI director Kash Patel said in a social media post.

The students' actions "undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement", Patel said.

Jalloh, a former member of the army's National Guard, was sentenced to 11 years in prison and was released from federal custody in December 2024.

He is a naturalised US citizen from Sierra Leone.

Police Chief Garrett Shelton said all three victims are affiliated with the university.

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll posted on social media platform X he was "deeply saddened" to hear about the shooting and the two army personnel who were injured.

University president Brian Hemphill said in a statement to the school community that Old Dominion had "faced a tragedy" and thanked police and emergency responders for swift intervention.

Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger wrote on Facebook that she had spoken with university leadership and was mobilising state support to assist with the situation.

with AP