MAGA Reacts as Alleged ODU Shooter Mohamed Jalloh's ISIS Links Revealed
Conservative activists and Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters expressed outrage online after it emerged that Mohamed Jalloh, the man accused of opening fire on Old Dominion University's (ODU) campus on Thursday, is the same individual who was prosecuted nearly a decade ago in a high‑profile federal terrorism case involving attempted support for ISIS.
The shooting occurred Thursday morning inside Constant Hall, a business‑school building on Old Dominion University's Norfolk, Virginia, campus, where the gunman opened fire, killing one person and injuring two others. University and Norfolk police responded, and Jalloh was pronounced dead. The discovery quickly fueled a wave of questions about how a former defendant in an ISIS‑related investigation was later able to carry out a campus shooting.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) by email for comment.
Jalloh Arrested in 2016 for Ties to ISIS
Shortly after the shooting, it was revealed that Jalloh, a former member of the Army National Guard, had been arrested in July 2016 for “attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),” a 2016 press release from the DOJ said.
“According to the complaint, Jalloh is alleged to have attempted to provide services by assisting in the procurement of weapons to be used in what he believed was going to be an attack on U.S. soil committed in the name of ISIL,” the DOJ press release said. “In addition, the complaint alleges that Jalloh attempted to provide material support to ISIL by providing money to assist in the facilitation of individuals seeking to join ISIL.”
In 2017, Jalloh, then 27, of Sterling, Virginia, was sentenced to 11 years in prison and five years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to Islamic State terrorists.
Conservative activists took to social media to express their outrage at the finding.
“Another Muslim. Gee, nobody is shocked. How was a Muslim immigrant who was previously convicted for providing material support to ISIS still living in our country?” Laura Loomer posted. “President Trump needs to use the US military to raid every single mosque in America and mass deport all Islamic immigrants. We then need to denaturalize all Muslims in America. Islam is a national security threat. We need to ban all Muslims from serving in the US military and National Guard.”
"’Mohamed Jalloh’ How many times do we have to let the same pattern repeat itself?” US Congressman from Texas' 26th Congressional District Brandon Gill posted.
“BREAKING: The shooter at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA today is reportedly Mohamed Jalloh, a former Army National Guardsman arrested in 2016 for providing material support to ISIS, per @karol,” Nick Sortor posted. “WHY IS SOMEONE CONVICTED OF SUPPORTING ISIS WALKING FREE? Jalloh a naturalized US citizen from Sierra Leone, traveled overseas MULTIPLE times attempting to join ISIS. He was convicted in federal court, and released from federal prison in 2024. He should’ve been in GUANTANAMO BAY! The shooter is now deceased. Good riddance.”
“KICK EVERY MUSLIM OUT OF THE US MILITARY @SecWar Old Dominion School Shooter is a muslim. Mohamed Jalloh, a former National Guardsman & convicted for giving information to ISIS. A convicted terrorist should get the death penalty. Muslims in our military = terrorist attacks,” Valentina Gomez posted.
“Jalloh was a naturalized U.S. citizen from Sierra Leone who traveled to Africa on three separate occasions in 2015 to join ISIS. Sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2017 but now apparently free to commit more acts of terrorism in 2026,” Greg Price posted.
“There is no good reason to let anyone from Sierra Leone into the country in the first place Immigration laws are meant to benefit the American people,” Brianna Lyman posted. “I cannot fathom how Mohamed Jalloh would be considered a net benefit. Also, why wasn’t he denaturalized/deported in 2016??”
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel said the FBI was now investigating the shooting as a terrorist act.
“Earlier today, an armed individual opened fire at Old Dominion University, leaving one person dead and two others wounded. The shooter is now deceased thanks to a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him – actions that undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement,” Patel posted. “The FBI is now investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism. Our Joint Terrorism Task Force is fully engaged, embedded with local authorities, and providing all resources necessary in the investigation. In the meantime, please pray for the victims, their families, and the ODU community.”
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This story was originally published March 12, 2026 at 4:15 PM.