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Rather than running away, the students rushed toward the shooter.
In a dramatic confrontation, the cadets physically overpowered the attacker. By the time the struggle ended, the gunman was dead.
Federal officials later confirmed the suspect had not been shot during the encounter, indicating he was killed in the struggle with the students.
During a press briefing, Dominique Evans, the FBI special agent in charge of the Norfolk field office, praised the young cadets for their extraordinary courage.
She said their actions likely saved many lives.
“The students subdued him and ‘rendered him no longer alive,’” Evans said. “I don’t know how else to say it.”
Authorities say the ROTC students intervened while the attack was still unfolding, preventing the shooter from continuing his rampage across campus.
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The quick response from the cadets has drawn national attention as more details emerge about the suspect’s past.
Jalloh had previously been convicted in a federal case tied to attempts to assist ISIS. After serving his prison sentence, he was released back into society.
Now investigators are examining whether he maintained extremist connections or had been radicalized again before launching the deadly assault.
Federal authorities are continuing to piece together how he obtained the firearm used in the attack and whether anyone else may have helped plan the incident.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that investigators are treating the shooting as an act of terrorism.
Law enforcement officials are also reviewing the suspect’s communications, online activity, and travel history to determine whether he had any contact with extremist networks before the attack.
Meanwhile, the bravery displayed by the ROTC cadets has become a major focus of the story.
In a moment when chaos and panic gripped the campus, the students demonstrated the kind of courage and decisive action that many Americans say has become increasingly rare.
Rather than waiting for police to arrive, the cadets acted immediately.
Their intervention ended the attack before the gunman could fire more shots.
Campus officials have since secured the area and offered counseling services for students and faculty shaken by the violence.
The university community continues to mourn the victim who was killed during the shooting while praying for the recovery of the two injured individuals.
But amid the tragedy, the actions of the ROTC cadets are being widely recognized as heroic.
Their training, discipline, and willingness to put themselves in harm’s way turned what could have been a much larger massacre into a story of courage under fire.
Many observers are now calling for the students to receive national recognition for their actions.
Some have even suggested that the cadets deserve to be honored at the White House for their bravery.
In an era when campus shootings often end with devastating death tolls, this incident serves as a powerful reminder of what can happen when ordinary Americans refuse to stand by in the face of evil.
The young ROTC cadets at Old Dominion didn’t just stop a killer.
They saved lives.
