Kenya Chapman has been charged in connection with the sale of a firearm used in the Old Dominion University (ODU) shooting, which left one person dead and two injured. The US Department of Justice announced the charges on Friday, alleging Chapman sold the weapon to Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, despite Jalloh's previous terrorism conviction.
Chapman faces charges of making a false statement during a firearm purchase and engaging in firearms dealing without a license. According to court documents, Chapman told investigators he stole the gun from a car in Newport News, Virginia, about a year before the shooting and sold it to Jalloh, whom he met at work. Jalloh claimed he needed the gun for protection as a delivery driver.
The firearm used in the attack had its serial number obliterated, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press on Friday, potentially complicating the investigation into how Jalloh obtained it. Jalloh, a former army national guard member, was barred from possessing a gun due to a 2016 felony conviction for attempting to aid the Islamic State (IS) extremist group. He was released from federal custody in December 2024 and was on supervised release at the time of the shooting.
During the attack on Thursday, Jalloh yelled 'Allahu Akbar' before opening fire in a classroom attended by active duty service members and ROTC students. He asked twice if it was an ROTC event before shooting. The victim, Lt Col Brandon Shah, a 42-year-old professor of military science and ROTC leader, was killed. ROTC students subdued and killed Jalloh, preventing further harm, according to FBI officials.
ODU President Brian Hemphill paid tribute to Shah, describing him as 'a devoted family man, a revered leader and heroic protector even in his final moments.' Shah, a helicopter pilot who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and eastern Europe, leaves behind a spouse and a child.
