UGA alum killed in Old Dominion shooting remembered as leader, mentor
Brandon Shah brought out the best in his students.
Since 2022, the University of Georgia Terry College of Business graduate had been passing down his military knowledge at a Virginia university where he led the Army ROTC program. During one of those lessons Thursday, Lt. Col. Shah was fatally shot in what FBI officials are calling an “act of terrorism.”
The distinguished Army officer and educator impacted people such as Justin Burns, currently stationed in the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart near Georgia’s coast. Burns completed his ROTC training last year under Shah at Old Dominion University.
“He was a great leader who led by example and challenged us mentally and physically each day to be the best versions of ourselves,” Burns told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a series of messages Friday.
Shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday, a gunman opened fire inside a classroom on campus, according to Norfolk, Virginia, officials. Two people affiliated with the university were injured, and Shah died at a hospital.
FBI special agent Dominique Evans identified the suspect as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, who in 2016 was arrested for attempting to provide support to the Islamic State group. Jalloh was sentenced to prison in late 2017 and released in 2024, Evans said.
“We have confirmed reports that prior to him conducting this act of terrorism, he shouted, stated, ‘Allahu akbar,’” Evans told reporters during a news conference.
ROTC Monarch Battalion members in the classroom “subdued” the suspect and “rendered him no longer alive,” Evans said. Federal officials have not said how the suspect was killed but confirmed it did not involve a firearm.
Shah graduated from Terry College in 2018 with a Master of Business Administration degree and concentrations in operations management and marketing. He also held a master’s degree from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s from Old Dominion.
In 2022, Shah was recognized as a Terry Trailblazer, an honor for business leaders achieving career success while making a meaningful impact. During a video interview with the college when he received the award, Shah recognized the many opportunities “the Army has been fortunate enough to give” him.
Before becoming a professor of military science and department chair at Old Dominion, he led the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. Before that, he served as an Army aviator and helicopter pilot, deploying multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan.
“A highly experienced aviator, Lt. Col. Shah logged more than 1,200 flight hours in multiple aircraft, including more than 600 combat flight hours,” Terry College officials wrote in a statement.
Burns said Shah was excited for him to be stationed in the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart since Shah had previously served in the 3rd Infantry Division in Savannah as an Apache helicopter pilot. In the classroom, Burns said Shah would find ways to fit in “dad jokes” and talk about the bravery of Apache pilots.
“He was a great leader who influenced so many cadets past and present throughout his time at Old Dominion University,” Burns said, adding, “He welcomed me into the program with open arms and made the transition from active-duty soldiering to college ROTC student a smooth one.”
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