Army Awards Purple Hearts to Old Dominion ROTC Cadets Who Stopped ISIS‑Linked Attacker
The Army’s top civilian and enlisted leaders privately awarded two Purple Hearts and eight Meritorious Service Medals to Old Dominion University ROTC cadets who overpowered and killed the March 12 classroom gunman later identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a convicted ISIS supporter and former National Guardsman. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer presented the honors this week, with cadet names withheld for privacy, after the FBI labeled the attack an act of terrorism that killed military science professor Lt. Col. Brandon Shah and wounded two others. FBI Norfolk special agent in charge Dominique Evans said the unarmed cadets "terminated the threat" by subduing and fatally stabbing Jalloh before he could inflict more casualties, a detail that has driven widespread praise on social media. The article notes that Jalloh had pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to ISIS and was released about 2½ years early in December 2024 under a Justice Department drug‑treatment program, raising renewed questions about federal supervision and early‑release decisions for terrorism convicts. The awards highlight both the cadets’ actions and the policy failures that allowed a previously convicted ISIS supporter back into the community in time to attack during ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran.
📌 Key Facts
- Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer awarded two Purple Hearts and eight Meritorious Service Medals to Old Dominion University Army ROTC cadets in a private ceremony this week.
- The FBI says the cadets subdued and killed gunman Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former National Guardsman previously convicted of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, after he opened fire in an ROTC classroom on March 12, killing Lt. Col. Brandon Shah and wounding two others.
- FBI special agent in charge Dominique Evans publicly called the incident an act of terrorism and said the cadets "terminated the threat" without firearms, with reports indicating Jalloh was killed by stabbing.
- Jalloh was released from federal custody in December 2024 to supervised probation roughly 2½ years early after completing a drug‑treatment program administered under the Biden Justice Department.
📊 Relevant Data
Mohamed Bailor Jalloh is a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Sierra Leone who immigrated to the United States.
Mohamed Bailor Jalloh | Counter Extremism Project — Counter Extremism Project
The Sierra Leone Civil War from 1991 to 2002 displaced over 2 million people and led to significant emigration, with many Sierra Leoneans seeking refuge in the United States, contributing to a wave where over 860,000 African immigrants gained lawful permanent residence in the U.S. between 2001 and 2010.
Migration experiences of Sierra Leoneans — DigitalCommons@URI
The Immigration Act of 1990 introduced the Diversity Visa program, which increased immigration opportunities from underrepresented countries, including African nations like Sierra Leone, leading to higher African immigration rates post-1990.
MAJOR US IMMIGRATION LAWS, 1790 - PRESENT — Migration Policy Institute
Federal inmates who complete the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) have a 48.2% recidivism rate over eight years, compared to 68.0% for eligible non-participants, making RDAP completers 27% less likely to recidivate.
Recidivism and Federal Bureau of Prisons Programs: Drug Program Participants Released in 2010 — United States Sentencing Commission
Since 9/11, the majority of individuals accused of jihadist terrorism in the U.S. are American citizens or legal residents, and of the 16 lethal jihadist terrorists, 9 were U.S.-born citizens, with most others being naturalized citizens or long-term residents, accounting for 121 fatalities.
Terrorism in America After 9/11 — New America
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