Man charged for allegedly selling weapon to gunman in Virginia university attack

A man has been charged for allegedly selling a gun to the suspect who opened fire at a US university, killing one person and injuring two others, authorities have said.

The FBI is investigating Thursday's deadly incident at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, as an act of terrorism.

Kenya Chapman is accused of selling a weapon to the suspected gunman, identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, the Department of Justice said on Friday. Jalloh had previously been jailed for trying to support the Islamic State group.

FBI special agent Dominique Evans said the gunman died in the incident after being subdued by student military officers in training.

Chapman, 32, is facing federal charges, including of making false statements while purchasing a firearm and dealing firearms without a licence, according to the justice department.

Prosecutors allege he stole the firearm from a vehicle in the city of Newport News a year ago and sold it to Jalloh days before the shooting at the university.

The 36-year-old Jalloh, a former Virginia National Guard member,reportedly yelled "Allahu Akbar" before opening fire on a classroom, until students pinned him down and killed him, FBI special agent Dominique Evans told a news conference.

Jalloh was not killed by gunfire, Evans said without providing further details.

Those who tackled the suspect were members of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programme, which combines college coursework with military leadership training.

"The brave ROTC members in that room subdued him, and if not for them, I'm not sure, you know, what else he may have done," Evans, who is in charge of the FBI's Norfolk Office, told reporters on Thursday.

The deceased victim was identified by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger as instructor Lt Col Brandon Shah.

"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," Spanberger wrote in a social media post.

The two injured people have not been identified. One was last reported to be in critical condition, and the second was treated and released from an area hospital.

Officers first responded to reports of a shooting inside a classroom in Constant Hall, the university's business school building, university police chief Garrett Shelton said.

When the suspect walked in, he asked whether it was an ROTC class, and after someone answered yes, he opened fire, law enforcement sources told the BBC's US partner, CBS News.

When officers arrived, they found that the gunman was already dead, Shelton said.

In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel thanked the "brave students" whose actions "undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement".

Two of the victims were army personnel, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said.

In 2016, Jalloh was arrested and pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group, the FBI's Evans said.

He was sentenced in 2017 and was released from prison in 2024, she said.

When asked what kind of aid Jalloh was giving to the IS group, Evans said he had wanted to conduct a terrorist attack similar to the 2009 attack at a military base in Fort Hood, Texas, that killed 13 people.

Evans said Thursday's shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism because of the suspect's prior conviction and because he allegedly shouted "Allahu Akbar", an Arabic phrase that means "God is greater", before the incident.

There was no mention of the war in Iran, Evans said.

The shooting came hours before another incident in Michigan in which a vehicle rammed into a synagogue and school.

There, all children and staff were safely evacuated and one security guard was injured but is expected to recover, authorities said.