Jalloh was killed soon after the attack when ROTC students subdued him, federal officials said, and one ROTC leader and professor of military science at Old Dominion University was among those killed. The Justice Department’s new charge of Chapman shifts focus to what prosecutors say happened in the period before the shooting, including how Jalloh obtained the firearm used in the attack.
The Justice Department charged Chapman on Friday, saying he sold the stolen gun to Jalloh, according to federal authorities. Prosecutors also alleged Chapman made false statements during a firearm purchase and dealt firearms without a license.
Federal authorities said Jalloh, a former member of the Army National Guard, had previously been sentenced to prison in connection with an effort to aid the Islamic State group. Jalloh was released from federal custody in December 2024, while on supervised release, after completing a drug treatment program, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The criminal case described details of Jalloh’s actions at Old Dominion. According to court papers, the shooting happened in a class attended by active-duty servicemembers and ROTC students, and Jalloh twice asked people in the room to confirm that it was an ROTC event before he began shooting.
Authorities said Jalloh yelled “Allahu akbar” before opening fire, and federal authorities said he was taking online classes at the university at the time of the attack. U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Chapman “allegedly stole a firearm and illegally sold it to a convicted terrorist, who murdered a decorated American veteran,” adding that Chapman “will finally face the full weight of justice,” in a social media post.
Court documents also described what Chapman told federal agents after the shooting. The affidavit filed in court said Chapman told investigators he stole the gun from a car in Newport News, Virginia, about a year before the attack and recently sold it to Jalloh, and that he met Jalloh at work and said Jalloh told him he needed the gun for protection as a delivery driver.
Chapman’s legal jeopardy stems, federal authorities said, from allegations that he lied on paperwork related to the purchase and that he engaged in firearms dealing without a license. The case also described complications for investigators, including that the gun’s serial number was partially obliterated. Federal authorities nevertheless said they found Chapman through phone records showing multiple calls between him and Jalloh in the week before the shooting.
The gun supplier case also includes information previously developed by federal authorities, including that Chapman had drawn scrutiny in 2021 for straw purchases. According to court filings, authorities issued Chapman a “straw purchaser warning letter,” and he later wrote a letter of apology after admitting to straw purchases at that time. The Justice Department said the matter was presented to a U.S. attorney then, but the office declined to prosecute.
As investigators continued to seek details, FBI officials said ROTC students killed Jalloh and prevented further harm. FBI officials said one of the people wounded was hospitalized in critical condition but later was upgraded to fair condition, while the other was treated and released, according to Sentara Health.
At a news conference Thursday, FBI special agent Dominique Evans told reporters that there was no mention “whatsoever” of the war in Iran in what Jalloh said, referring to missile strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28. Evans also said the public’s help remained important in the investigation and that “no detail is too small,” while Old Dominion University Police Chief Garrett Shelton said less than 10 minutes passed between officers being called about the shooting and responders determining the shooter was dead.
In the aftermath, Old Dominion University Cadet Command said the man killed was Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, 42, of Chesapeake, and the service member’s death left behind a spouse and a child. Old Dominion President Brian Hemphill said Shah “embodied what it means to be a devoted family man, a revered leader, and heroic protector even in his final moments,” in a message to the university community.
The Associated Press previously reported on the attack and the response by ROTC students. In the campus hours after Shah’s death, Eddie Flack, a friend from Chesapeake, poured out a bottle of Wild Turkey on a lawn across from Constant Hall, saying: “I love you Brandon. Rest well with the creator. I love you,” and later, “Sorry Brandon. The world needs more love,” while weeping.
This story has been corrected to show the AP reporter in the byline is Allen G. Breed, not Alan.