In a dramatic video shared online by the Army ROTC, cadets at Virginia鈥檚 Old Dominion University are recounting how they stabbed and disarmed a gunman targeting their classroom, then frantically tried to save the life of the wounded instructor who grappled with the attacker.
In the 17-minute video posted Wednesday, the Army Reserve Officers鈥� Training Corps cadets tell how Lt. Col. Brandon Shah lunged at the shooter during the at the Norfolk school, placing himself between the gunman and the class.
Cadet Jah-Ire Urtarte said Shah, who was shot and did not survive, saved lives that day.
鈥淚f he didn鈥檛 lunge at him, you know, I wouldn鈥檛 be here right now,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a possibility he could鈥檝e turned his gun and I could鈥檝e been next.鈥�
The shooter, Army , also died. He had pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to aid the Islamic State and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was on supervised release at the time of the attack.
The students say Jalloh walked into their classroom and nervously asked if it was an ROTC class. When someone confirmed that, they say he pulled a pistol from his waist, shouted ‘Allahu akbar,鈥� and fired toward Shah.
Students dived for cover. As Shah struggled with Jalloh, Cadet Louis Ancheta said he pulled out his pocket knife, moved toward them and was hit in the chest by a round.
鈥淚t really didn鈥檛 feel like it hit me,鈥� he said, pointing toward his sternum. 鈥淚t felt like a graze. After that, I鈥檓 like, `I can keep on going.’ 鈥�
When Shah got the man turned around, Ancheta said he took action with the folding tactical knife that most cadets carry with them.
鈥淪o, I just go in there, just start stabbing him,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s I鈥檓 stabbing, other cadets jump in.鈥�
Cadet Jeremy Rawlinson said he took out his knife, too, to help stop the threat.
Despite having several people on top of him, Jalloh still had the gun. Cadet Wesley Myers said he made that his priority, squeezing his fingers between Jalloh’s hand and the weapon to pry it away and clear the final round from the chamber.
With the shooter disarmed, the cadets said they turned their attention to the wounded: Cadet Samuel Reineberg found a gunshot wound to Shah鈥檚 upper right thigh. Rawlinson handed him his belt for a tourniquet.
鈥淥n an instant, we switched over to doing combat care,鈥� Rawlinson said.
Myers went to Ancheta.
鈥淚t鈥檚 different when it鈥檚 not a mannequin and it鈥檚 your friend,鈥� Myers said. 鈥淪o, myself and another cadet pull him to the side and lay him on his back and begin performing first aid.鈥�
Ancheta said he asked them to call his mother.
He received the Purple Heart 鈥� one of several cadets awarded medals for their response.
They praised Shah for taking action to protect them and for preparing them for the moment.
鈥淪o, he got to see all the training that he and the rest of Cadre had been giving us for the past years. He got to see us instantly do that in action,鈥� Rawlinson said. 鈥淗e got see right then and there, like, hey, these guys didn鈥檛 panic. They immediately switched over.”
Shah attended Old Dominion University as an ROTC student, according to his biography on the university鈥檚 website, and had returned in 2022 as a leader for the program. In the Army, Shah had flown helicopters over Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe as a pilot.
Two days before the shooting, Shah had told cadets not to wear their uniforms around campus as a precaution, another cadet previously told The Associated Press.
鈥淏ecause of all the situation that鈥檚 happening with Iran and all of that stuff in the Middle East,鈥� said Cadet Brandon Rebolledo, who was in the nearby ROTC building when the shooting occurred. 鈥淭o make sure that we did not become a target and to make sure that we were keeping a low profile.鈥�
The students say Shah was the real hero that day.
鈥淪o, he has a saying: ‘Be bold, be quick, be gone,鈥� 鈥� Rawlinson said.
Added Cadet Oshea Bego: 鈥淐ol. Shah really set that example for what it means, not just as a warrior, leader and soldier, but also just as a human being.鈥�
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