Man accused of selling rifle to Old Dominion University gunman arrested

The arrest of a Virginia man accused of supplying the rifle used in the Old Dominion University campus attack has shifted the focus of a terror investigation from the classroom where shots rang out to the pipeline that put a gun in the shooter’s hands. Federal prosecutors now say the alleged seller knew the buyer was barred from owning firearms, yet went through with the deal anyway.

The case ties together a deadly assault on ROTC students, the death of a respected instructor, and long-running concerns about how people with extremist histories still obtain weapons. It also raises new questions for Old Dominion University and the broader Norfolk community about accountability beyond the gunman himself.

From campus shooting to federal firearms case

The shooting unfolded at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, where a gunman opened fire inside a campus building and turned an ordinary day of classes into a scene of chaos and fear. According to a detailed account of the 2026 Old Dominion, the attack left one person dead and others wounded, and it triggered building evacuations along with temporary closures of nearby facilities after bomb threats.

Authorities later identified the gunman as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member with a prior conviction linked to support for the Islamic State extremist group. He had previously spent eight years in prison for attempting to aid that organization, a history that meant he was legally barred from possessing firearms. Despite that prohibition, investigators say he arrived on campus armed with a rifle and prepared for an assault that targeted members of the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

Within hours of the attack, attention turned to how Jalloh had obtained the weapon. Agents traced the rifle back to a private sale, and the investigation soon moved beyond the shooter to the person accused of putting the gun in his hands.

Who is the accused seller?

Federal charging documents identify the suspect as Kenya Mcchell Chapman, a 32-year-old Virginia resident. According to a statement from the Justice Department, Chapman is accused of illegally transferring the firearm that Jalloh used on campus. Prosecutors allege that Chapman sold the rifle despite knowing that Jalloh had a felony record and could not legally buy or possess a gun under federal law.

The government’s account, outlined in the federal charging announcement, portrays Chapman as a key link in the chain that enabled the attack. Investigators say he had acquired the rifle himself and later agreed to sell it to Jalloh in a private transaction that bypassed the background checks required at licensed gun dealers.

Chapman was arrested in Virginia after agents tracked the weapon and interviewed witnesses. At the time of his arrest, he had not yet entered a plea, and his legal team had not publicly responded to the allegations. It remains unverified based on available sources whether he has retained specific counsel or how he intends to contest the charges.

How investigators say the gun changed hands

Investigators describe a relatively straightforward but illegal sale. After Jalloh expressed interest in buying a rifle, Chapman allegedly agreed to sell him one that he already owned. Prosecutors say Chapman knew about Jalloh’s felony conviction for attempting to aid the Islamic State extremist group, yet proceeded with the transaction anyway.

Federal authorities say the rifle had been reported stolen before Chapman acquired it, adding another layer of alleged criminal conduct to the case. One federal summary of the investigation states that the weapon was a stolen firearm that moved through informal channels before ending up in Chapman’s possession and then being sold to Jalloh. That path kept the gun outside the formal system of licensed dealers and electronic records that can sometimes flag suspicious purchases.

Investigators say they corroborated the transfer through interviews and forensic tracing of the weapon’s serial number. The Justice Department alleges that Chapman not only sold the rifle but also understood that Jalloh could not pass a background check and therefore sought a private sale as a workaround.

Inside the Old Dominion attack

The shooting itself unfolded inside Constant Hall, an academic building at Old Dominion University that houses business and ROTC classrooms. Witnesses reported that Jalloh entered the building, asked whether the people inside were ROTC members, and when told yes, opened fire. The attack appeared to be directed specifically at those training to become officers in the U.S. military.

According to campus and federal accounts, Jalloh shouted “Allahu akbar” as he began shooting, a detail that investigators have cited as consistent with his past support for the Islamic State extremist group. A detailed narrative of the incident notes that he had previously been convicted in a terrorism case and was released from the federal Bureau of Prisons about two years before returning to Old Dominion University with a rifle.

Authorities have described the assault as an act of terror. In an overview of the incident, Authorities and the said they were investigating the shooting as a terror attack motivated by Jalloh’s past support for ISIL (ISIS). That characterization placed the Old Dominion case alongside a series of domestic plots in which individuals with prior extremist ties reemerged after prison.

ROTC students who fought back

Amid the chaos inside Constant Hall, several ROTC students decided to confront the gunman. According to a detailed account of the confrontation, Jalloh had already fired on the group when a small number of cadets moved toward him instead of away. They used classroom furniture and their own bodies as improvised shields to close the distance and tackle him.

Those students managed to disarm Jalloh and end the threat, although one of their instructors had already been fatally wounded. A report on the ROTC response at describes how the cadets, some of whom had only limited tactical training, relied on instinct and teamwork to overpower a gunman armed with a rifle.

Officials later praised the students for their actions, arguing that their decision to charge the attacker likely prevented a higher death toll. The episode has already begun to shape how ROTC programs discuss active shooter situations, particularly when cadets themselves may be targeted because of their connection to the military.

The life lost: Lt. Col. Brandon Shah

The lone fatal victim in the attack was Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, a 42-year-old instructor who had come to Old Dominion University after a career in uniform. Colleagues and family members described him as a devoted husband and father, a mentor to young cadets, and a leader who took seriously the responsibility of preparing future officers for service.

Accounts from those who knew him portray Shah as someone who blended strict expectations with steady support, pushing students to meet military standards while also helping them navigate the pressures of college life. A profile of the Slain instructor remembered notes that he had a background in military service that spanned multiple assignments before he accepted the campus role.

Shah’s death has been felt not only within the ROTC program but across the university, where he had become a visible figure at ceremonies and campus events. Students have described him as both a demanding teacher and a steady presence, someone who modeled the professionalism he expected from those under his instruction.

Charges and possible penalties

The criminal case against Chapman centers on federal firearms statutes that prohibit sales to convicted felons and regulate the transfer of stolen guns. Prosecutors have charged him with illegally selling the firearm used in the campus shooting and with offenses related to the weapon’s stolen status. Each count carries potential prison time, and if convicted on all charges, he could face a significant sentence.

Federal law treats knowingly arming a prohibited person as a serious crime, particularly when the weapon is later used in a violent offense. In public statements, officials have argued that holding alleged suppliers accountable is essential to deterring informal gun markets that operate outside licensed channels. The Justice Department’s description of the case frames Chapman as someone who allegedly chose profit or convenience over legal obligations and public safety.

At this stage, Chapman is presumed innocent, and the government still bears the burden of proving that he knew about Jalloh’s felony record and understood that the sale was illegal. It is also unverified based on available sources whether prosecutors will seek sentencing enhancements tied directly to the terror nature of the attack, but the link between the sale and the campus shooting is expected to feature prominently in any trial.

Community grief and campus security

In the days after the shooting, Old Dominion University shifted from an active crime scene to a community in mourning. Classes were disrupted, counseling services were expanded, and students gathered for vigils that honored Lt. Col. Brandon Shah and recognized the courage of the ROTC cadets who confronted the gunman. The university’s leadership faced immediate questions about how Jalloh, a former inmate with a terrorism conviction, was able to move freely on campus with a rifle.

The broader Norfolk community has wrestled with the dual reality that the attack was both a targeted act of terror and another example of a gun obtained through informal channels. Residents have expressed frustration that someone with Jalloh’s record could still find a seller, even as they praised the quick response of local Police and federal agents who worked together around Constant Hall and nearby buildings.

Campus security reviews are already underway, with particular attention on how visitors enter academic buildings, how quickly alerts reach students and staff, and whether ROTC facilities require additional protections. The aftermath section of the federal and campus describes how the university temporarily closed libraries and other spaces after bomb threats, a sign of the lingering fear that followed the initial gunfire.

Gun laws, extremist histories, and accountability

The Chapman case sits at the intersection of two long-running policy debates: how to keep firearms away from people with violent or extremist histories, and how to regulate private gun sales that do not involve licensed dealers. Jalloh’s prior conviction for attempting to aid the Islamic State extremist group meant that he could not legally buy a gun from a store, where a background check would have flagged his record. Instead, investigators say he turned to a private seller who was willing to ignore those restrictions.

For advocates of stricter gun regulations, the Old Dominion shooting offers a stark example of how existing laws can fail when private sellers are not required to vet buyers. They argue that universal background checks, which would cover most or all firearm transfers, could make it harder for people like Jalloh to obtain weapons, even if they still seek them through illicit channels.

Gun rights supporters, on the other hand, often caution against sweeping new restrictions that they say would burden lawful owners and sellers. Some argue that the focus should remain on enforcing current laws, including aggressive prosecution of cases like Chapman’s, rather than expanding regulations that affect the broader public. The Justice Department’s decision to bring charges in this case aligns with that enforcement-first approach, using existing statutes to target an alleged illegal sale tied to a high-profile act of violence.