One Dead, Two Injured in Shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia; FBI Investigating as 'Act of Terrorism'

One person has died and two others were injured in a shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia, USA. The FBI is investigating Thursday's incident as an 'act of terrorism'.

The suspected gunman involved in the attack, Mohammad Belar Zalo, is also dead. The attacker, Zalo, was a former member of the Virginia National Guard who had previously been jailed for attempting to aid the Islamic State (IS).

Zalo began firing indiscriminately after entering a classroom in the university's Business School building, Constant Hall. Upon entering the classroom, he reportedly asked if it was a military leadership training class, and began shooting immediately after receiving an affirmative answer.

The FBI stated that the gunman died while being subdued by some courageous students present at the scene. Officials said the students managed to contain him, preventing further damage, and neutralized him without firing any shots during the process. Among the three injured in the attack, a retired military officer who was teaching the class died during treatment at the hospital.

The attack has been classified as terrorism due to the attacker shouting 'Allahu Akbar' before opening fire and his prior criminal background. Zalo was jailed in 2017 on charges of aiding a terrorist group and was only released in 2024.

Within a few hours of this incident, another attack attempt occurred in Michigan, where a vehicle struck a synagogue.