Kenya Chapman was taken into custody and charged with making false statements while purchasing a firearm and dealing firearms without a license
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NEED TO KNOW
- Kenya Chapman is charged with making false statements while purchasing a firearm and dealing firearms without a license
- He allegedly sold the gun to Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, the convicted ISIS supporter who opened fire in a classroom on Thursday, March 12, killing 1 and injuring 2 others
- The FBI says they’re “working to piece together a timeline of [his] movements leading up to the attack”
A man accused of selling the rifle used in the fatal shooting at Old Dominion University has been arrested and is facing federal charges.
CNN reported, citing court documents, that Kenya Chapman is charged with making false statements while purchasing a firearm and dealing firearms without a license.
Chapman allegedly sold the gun to Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, the convicted ISIS supporter who opened fire in a classroom on Thursday, March 12, killing a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) instructor and injuring two others.
A law enforcement official close to the investigation told CNN that the gun had an obliterated serial number.
According to FOX 5, citing an affidavit, Chapman allegedly told federal agents in an interview that he stole the gun from a car in Newport News, Va., about a year before the shooting.
He allegedly said he and Jalloh met at work, and that Jalloh had told him he needed the gun for protection as a delivery driver, the outlet reported, citing court documents.
Chapman allegedly said he had no idea Jalloh would commit the attack, per the outlet.
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Jalloh, 36, opened fire at the college in Norfolk, Va., killing Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah before he was subdued and killed by students, PEOPLE previously reported.
“Lt. Col. Brandon Shah was killed today in his classroom at Old Dominion University,” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger confirmed on X after the attack. “A devoted ROTC instructor, Lt. Col. Shah didn’t just lead a life of service to our country, he taught and led others to follow that path.”
Jalloh, a former Virginia National Guard member, was previously convicted of attempting to aid the Islamic State and spent seven years in prison before being released in December 2024.
According to a February 2017 Department of Justice news release, he had tried to buy an AK-47 in Virginia and said he was "thinking about conducting an attack similar to the terrorist attack" at Fort Hood, Texas, which killed 13 people and injured 32 others in 2009.
He pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to ISIS, per the release.
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Jalloh allegedly walked into the classroom in Constant Hall — which is known as a hub for the college's business school — before inquiring if it was a ROTC class. He then started shooting when someone confirmed it was, CBS News reported, citing a law enforcement source.
According to federal officials, he shouted "Allahu Akbar," at the scene, the outlet reported.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed on X that the shooting is being investigated as a terror-related attack.
The FBI Field Office in Norfolk said in a statement shared with PEOPLE on Friday, March 13, that they're actively conducting interviews and searches as they "delve into every inch of Jalloh’s life … working to piece together a timeline of [his] movements leading up to the attack."
The FBI is encouraging anyone who has interacted with Jalloh to report it to tips.fbi.gov or fbi.gov/ODUshooting.