NORFOLK, Va. — Federal authorities arrested Kenya Chapman, 32, of Smithfield on Friday for allegedly selling a stolen gun to Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, the former National Guardsman who killed an ROTC instructor and wounded two students at Old Dominion University on Thursday.
Chapman faces federal charges including making false statements during firearm purchases and dealing firearms without a license. The arrest comes one day after Jalloh opened fire in an ROTC classroom before being killed by students who fought back. The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism, with Special Agent Dominique Evans of the Norfolk field office confirming that Jalloh shouted “Allah Akbar” before beginning his attack. The case has renewed scrutiny of federal gun crime prosecutions after authorities revealed Chapman was previously investigated but not charged in 2021.
According to a federal affidavit filed in court, Chapman admitted to agents that he sold Jalloh a Glock 44 .22-caliber pistol for $100 cash earlier this week. Chapman told investigators he had stolen the weapon approximately a year ago from a vehicle in Newport News, Virginia. Phone records show the two men, who met at work, spoke six times between March 5 and the day of the shooting, with their final conversation occurring “minutes before” the attack began. When federal agents searched Chapman’s Smithfield home on Thursday, they found .22-caliber ammunition consistent with the gun recovered from the shooting scene. Chapman even showed agents the $100 bill Jalloh had used to purchase the weapon, according to court documents.
The gun’s serial number had been partially altered, initially complicating efforts to trace the firearm, but investigators ultimately identified Chapman through Jalloh’s phone contacts. Jalloh, 36, had been convicted in 2016 of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and served federal prison time from 2017 until December 2024, when he was released early after completing a substance abuse treatment program. As a convicted felon, Jalloh was legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. Chapman told federal agents he knew Jalloh had spent time in prison but denied knowing about his felony conviction. Chapman claimed Jalloh told him he needed the gun for protection while working as a delivery driver and said he “had no idea” Jalloh would commit an attack.
Court documents reveal Chapman had been investigated in 2021 for “straw purchases” – buying guns for people who cannot legally obtain them. Two of those three weapons were later recovered from a homicide scene, and a third was found during a public intoxication incident. Chapman received a warning letter and wrote an apology after admitting to the illegal purchases, but federal prosecutors declined to pursue charges at that time. “Chapman allegedly stole a firearm and illegally sold it to a convicted terrorist, who murdered a decorated American veteran, and he will finally face the full weight of justice,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement Friday. If convicted on all charges, Chapman could face up to 35 years in prison.
The shooting occurred Thursday morning in Constant Hall on ODU’s Norfolk campus during an ROTC class attended by active duty servicemembers and cadets. According to court papers, Jalloh twice asked those in the classroom to confirm it was an ROTC event before opening fire. The attack killed Army Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, 42, of Chesapeake, who served as professor of military science and had previously piloted helicopters in Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe. Two other Army personnel were wounded, with one initially hospitalized in critical condition but later upgraded to fair condition. The second victim was treated and released. ODU students described terrifying moments as the gunfire erupted, with some hiding in rooms while others sought shelter on parking garages.
Multiple ROTC students fought back against Jalloh during the attack, with one fatally stabbing him, according to two senior law enforcement officials who spoke to NBC News. FBI Special Agent Evans praised the students’ bravery, saying they “rendered him no longer alive” and prevented further casualties. ODU Police Chief Garrett Shelton said less than 10 minutes passed between the initial emergency call and when responders confirmed the shooter was dead. Campus chaplain Brooke Barnett has been meeting with “shocked” and “sad” students in small groups since the shooting. ODU freshman Caleb Hardman called the student who stopped the attack “a hero.” On Friday morning, Eddie Flack, a close friend of the slain instructor, poured out a bottle of Wild Turkey on campus in Shah’s honor, saying “The world needs more love and not this hatred.”
Chapman appeared in federal court Friday afternoon and was ordered detained ahead of his next hearing scheduled for March 17. He has not yet entered a plea, and his court-appointed public defender declined to comment. The FBI has requested public assistance in the investigation, with Evans stating that agents will “dig in and track down every single lead” to find answers about the attack. Jalloh was taking online classes at Old Dominion University this semester and had been living with his sister in Sterling, Virginia, according to his probation officer’s records.
