Authorities are seeking to find out how the gunman in the deadly shooting at Old Dominion University last week obtained the gun that was used in the attack. Police now say the firearm was illegally sold by a man who has now been arrested, according to reports.
Police said Mohamed Jalloh opened fire during an ROTC class on campus, killing Lt. Col. Brandon Shah. Two others were injured in the March 12 shooting, 13NewsNow reported.
Authorities said Jalloh had previously served time for attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Officials said he was on supervised release at the time of the attack and was killed during the incident.
Court documents say Jalloh illegally purchased the weapon from Kenya Chapman. Investigators say Chapman sold him a .22 caliber Glock 44 with an altered serial number.
According to an affidavit from an ATF agent in Newport News, Chapman sold the gun for $100. Authorities said Chapman still had the same $100 bill when he was arrested, which the FBI seized as evidence.
Chapman was arrested Friday after the FBI searched an apartment in Smithfield where he had been staying. Agents spent about six hours searching the residence before taking him into custody.
Officials said Jalloh shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire. The phrase translates to “God is great.”
Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans said laws preventing felons from obtaining firearms only work when people obey them. She said the suspect who sold the gun was not a law-abiding citizen.
“That person who sold that terrorist affiliated person a gun, he stole that gun out of cars,” Kiggans said. She said illegal gun trafficking continues to pose a serious threat.
Court records show Chapman had previously been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 2021. Agents suspected him of participating in straw purchasing, which occurs when someone buys a firearm for someone who cannot legally own one.
Investigators said Chapman received a warning at the time but was not charged. The ATF said it found no known firearm purchases by Chapman in the last year.
According to investigators, Chapman initially told authorities he found the Glock in the woods. Officials said he later admitted he stole the weapon from a car in Newport News about a year earlier.
Chapman told investigators he met Jalloh at work and that Jalloh said he wanted the gun for protection as a delivery driver. Wrenn told reporters she does not believe Jalloh had a job.
Investigators said cellphone data placed Jalloh near the Smithfield apartment multiple times before the attack. Authorities said the phone left the area the morning of March 12 and traveled toward Old Dominion University.
Officials also found a bag of .22 caliber ammunition inside the apartment. Investigators said the ammunition matched the caliber of the gun used in the attack.
Chapman now faces federal charges of dealing firearms without a license and making false statements during firearm purchases. Officials said he appeared in federal court Friday.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi criticized the earlier decision not to prosecute Chapman. She said the previous warning allowed a dangerous situation to develop.
“The Biden Department of Justice declined to prosecute this man and let him off easy with a warning,” Bondi said. “Left-wing soft-on-crime policies cost lives but this Department of Justice doesn’t tolerate crime, we punish it,” Bondi said.
FBI Director Kash Patel also addressed the arrest. He said investigators remain committed to holding everyone involved accountable.
“If you steal firearms, lie on federal forms, and put weapons in the hands of convicted terrorists, this FBI will find you,” Patel said. “I want to thank our Norfolk Field Office and partners who continue to work to bring to justice those responsible for yesterday’s attack,” Patel said.
Officials said Chapman faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison if convicted. The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.