FBI investigating deadly Virginia university shooting as 'terrorism'

One person was killed and two others injured Thursday when a gunman opened fire at Old Dominion University in Virginia, an attack US authorities said was being investigated as an act of terrorism.

The assailant also died in the incident in a building on the campus in the city of Norfolk, Virginia, south of the US capital Washington. 

"The shooter is now deceased thanks to a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him -- actions that undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement," Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel said in a statement posted on X.

"The FBI is now investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism."

The bureau's Joint Terrorism Task Force is working with local authorities and providing resources for the investigation, Patel said. "In the meantime, please pray for the victims, their families, and the ODU community."

Old Dominion said in a statement that police and emergency personnel "responded immediately" to the attack and that "the gunman is now deceased."

He has been identified by several US media outlets including NBC News as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, a former member of the National Guard who pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to support the Islamic State extremist group. 

Sentenced to 11 years in prison, he was released in 2024, according to media reports.

School shootings are a shockingly regular occurrence in the United States, where guns outnumber people and regulations on purchasing even powerful military-style rifles are lax.