Federal authorities arrested a Virginia man for illegally selling the weapon used in Thursday’s Old Dominion University shooting that left an ROTC instructor dead, despite the seller’s documented history of providing firearms recovered at multiple crime scenes, including a homicide.

Convicted Felon Previously Warned by Biden DOJ

Kenya Chapman faces charges for making false statements related to selling a weapon to convicted felon Mohamed Bailor Jalloh. Chapman stole the .22-caliber gun a year before the shooting and sold it to Jalloh for one hundred dollars this week, according to an FBI affidavit. The sale violated federal law prohibiting convicted felons from purchasing or possessing firearms. Chapman had already drawn scrutiny from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in 2021 for three alleged straw purchases, where buyers claim they’re purchasing guns for themselves but actually plan to sell them.

All three guns Chapman previously sold were later recovered at crime scenes, including one homicide. The Biden administration’s Department of Justice declined prosecution at that time, instead directing the ATF to issue Chapman a warning letter. Chapman admitted to selling the guns and wrote an apology letter. This decision now faces scrutiny as the same individual provided the weapon used in Thursday’s deadly attack.

Gunman Killed After ROTC Students Intervene

Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, thirty-six, opened fire in an Old Dominion University classroom on Thursday, killing ROTC instructor Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah and wounding two others. ROTC students disarmed and shot Jalloh dead during the attack. Jalloh was released early from prison in December 2024 after completing a drug treatment program allowing inmates early release up to one year. He remained on supervised release when he carried out the shooting.

Shooter’s Terrorism Background Raises Questions

Jalloh, a naturalized citizen from Sierra Leone, served six years in the Virginia National Guard before his arrest in July 2016. Federal authorities charged him with attempting to procure weapons for what he believed would be an attack inspired by the Islamic State and separately trying to send money supporting the terrorist organization. The DOJ stated Jalloh left the military after listening to online lectures from al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi and praised the July 2015 Chattanooga terrorist attack that killed four Marines and one Navy sailor. Generally, inmates convicted of terrorism-related offenses aren’t eligible for early release programs, raising questions about how Jalloh qualified for the drug treatment program that freed him nearly two years before Thursday’s deadly shooting.