A Virginia man now faces federal charges in connection with the terrifying shooting at Old Dominion University, accused of providing the weapon used in the attack.
The shooting unfolded when Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a 36-year-old with a disturbing past, opened fire in a classroom filled with Army ROTC students and active-duty service members. Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen, had previously served time in prison for terrorism-related offenses linked to ISIS.
The attack claimed the life of Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, an active-duty soldier assigned to the ODU Army ROTC unit, and wounded two others before Jalloh was stopped by the very students he targeted.
Kenya Mcchell Chapman, 32, of Smithfield, Virginia, has been charged with illegally dealing firearms without a license and making false statements during previous gun purchases. He is alleged to have sold Jalloh the Glock .44-caliber firearm used in the March 12th shooting.
Investigators discovered the weapon had a deliberately obscured serial number, and evidence suggests Jalloh specifically sought a class populated by ROTC students before unleashing the violence. Witnesses reported hearing the phrase “Allahu Akbar” – a phrase associated with ISIS and often uttered before acts of terror – immediately before the attack.
This isn’t Chapman’s first encounter with law enforcement regarding illegal firearms. An earlier ATF investigation in 2021 revealed he’d already admitted to acting as a straw purchaser for three guns, yet faced no prosecution at the time.
Chapman confessed to selling the stolen firearm to Jalloh for a mere $100, even presenting the bill to investigators as proof of the transaction. His initial story claimed he’d found the gun in the woods, a claim he later retracted, admitting to stealing it.
A meticulous investigation, utilizing phone records, surveillance footage, and location data, revealed a clear connection between Chapman and Jalloh. Jalloh’s phone repeatedly contacted Chapman’s in the days leading up to the shooting, and location data placed Jalloh traveling between ODU and Chapman’s residence.
A search of Chapman’s home uncovered .22 caliber ammunition matching the type used in the ODU shooting. Confronted with the evidence, Chapman admitted to the sale, claiming Jalloh had requested a weapon for “protection as a delivery driver.”
Chapman maintains he was unaware of Jalloh’s intentions or his prior felony conviction. However, the evidence paints a disturbing picture of a dangerous individual obtaining a weapon through illegal means, with devastating consequences.
