Army ROTC cadets attending Old Dominion University were awarded eight meritorious service medals and two Purple Hearts for their actions during a shooting incident that occurred in their classroom earlier this month.
In a private ceremony Sunday, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer granted the cadets the honors for their “bravery and sacrifice” during the March 12 shooting on the Norfolk, Virginia, campus, U.S. Army Cadet Command said in a Facebook post Monday.
The cadets’ names have not been released for privacy reasons, the post says.
On March 12, a gunman yelled “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire in a university classroom and killing one individual and injuring two others. The ROTC students subdued the gunman and “rendered him no longer alive,” Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk field office, said in a news conference following the shooting.
The gunman was identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member who pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to aid the Islamic State. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison and was released from federal custody in 2024.
It is unclear how Jalloh died during the incident, but Evans said he was not shot.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a March 12 post on X that the ROTC students’ actions “undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement.”
The deceased victim was identified as Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, who led the Army ROTC program at Old Dominion University since 2022.
Shah joined the Army in 2003 and received his Army commission in 2007 after graduating from the university.
“A devoted ROTC instructor, Lt. Col. Shah didn’t just lead a life of service to our country, he taught and led others to follow that path,” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said in a March 12 post on X after confirming Shah as the victim.
“I am grateful for his example, deeply saddened by his death, and praying for his family,” Spanberger continued.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.