Probation officer did not share Jalloh’s criminal history with ODU
The report, whose findings were released Tuesday, concluded that Old Dominion University had no knowledge of Mohamed Bailor Jalloh’s criminal history either before or after he was readmitted as a student. Jalloh had been convicted of attempting to aid the Islamic State group and served eight years in prison. In March 2026, he opened fire in a classroom at the Norfolk, Virginia, campus.
According to the investigative report, Jalloh’s probation officer also did not disclose his criminal background to the university, despite the seriousness of the offense. The report stated that if the university had been aware of Jalloh’s history, officials would likely have sought to remove him from campus.
Virginia state law prohibits the university from inquiring about a student’s criminal history during the admission or readmission process. However, the law does permit such inquiries after a student has been readmitted.