A student at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, who spent eight years in prison for attempting to aid the Islamic State, opened fire in a classroom in March. The university was not aware of his criminal history, as it did not inquire about it before or after his readmission. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
According to an investigative report released Tuesday, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh's probation officer also did not share his criminal background with the university. Had the university known, it likely would have sought his removal from campus. Under Virginia law, the university is not permitted to inquire about criminal history before admission but can do so after readmission.
The report stated: "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."
Jalloh, a former Virginia National Guard member, pleaded guilty in 2017 to providing material support to the Islamic State and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He completed a drug treatment program and was released early.
In March, after re-enrolling, Jalloh entered a classroom, asked if it was an ROTC class, and opened fire. Cadets disarmed him, but instructor Lt. Col. Brandon Shah was killed.
University President Brian O. Hemphill said: "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."