The investigation into the March terror attack at Old Dominion University (ODU) revealed a critical failure in communication between federal officials and the university, which may have led to the tragic loss of an Army veteran instructor's life.
The report found that federal officials never notified ODU of Mohamed Bailor Jalloh's previous conviction for attempting to support ISIS, despite his federal probation officer having the authority to require him to disclose his criminal record to third parties.
On March 12, Jalloh opened fire inside an ROTC classroom at ODU, killing an instructor and injuring two students before being subdued by ROTC members.
The investigation concluded that had ODU known about Jalloh's criminal history, it is likely that the university would have sought his removal from campus due to the risk he posed, particularly to military-affiliated individuals.
The FBI stated that it is not responsible for notifying colleges of an individual's criminal history, citing that it is a shared responsibility among state, local, federal, and community partners.
The agency also noted that Jalloh's terrorism-related convictions were widely publicized by the Department of Justice in 2016 and 2017, with multiple press releases detailing his case still available on the agency's website.
ODU said it removed criminal history questions from its applications in compliance with Virginia law, which prohibits public universities from asking applicants about their criminal history during the admissions process.
However, under Jalloh's federal supervised release, his probation officer reportedly had the authority to require him to disclose his criminal record to third parties, but no such notification was provided to any university office or campus police.
The report highlighted the critical failure in communication that led to the tragic consequences, and emphasized the importance of other law enforcement agencies sharing information with universities to safeguard their students.
ODU has since expanded its post-admission screening policies to include readmitted students, and has improved its procedures to ensure that students with a history of criminal activity are identified and addressed.
The university's efforts to address these gaps in policy and procedure come in the wake of the tragic loss of life and the need to ensure that students are safe on campus.
