ROTC instructors honor Lt. Col. Brandon Shah who died blocking an ODU shooter
Old Dominion University ROTC instructors Liam Clement, Wesley Myers and Oshea Bego recount the March 12 campus shooting in which their instructor, Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, who was killed while stopping the attacker. The cadets describe their immediate response, using medical and self-defense techniques to protect students and deal with the threat. They praised Shah as an exemplary leader who fostered a family-like environment.
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Army ROTC cadets at Old Dominion University talk about the shooting that killed their instructor, recounting how he “gave his life” to protect them and how their training helped them respond.
“The team came together and worked together to face the threats head-on, and through the heroic actions of Lieutenant Colonel Shah, many avoidable losses were averted.,” Wesley Myers told “Fox & Friends” Monday in an exclusive interview.
Myers, along with fellow cadets Liam Clement and Oshea Bego, recounted the harrowing experience, describing how what started as a normal class turned into something sinister when gunman Mohamed Jalloh entered. class.
Jalloh repeatedly and nervously asked if the class was ROTC, according to an earlier report and, after confirmation, reportedly shouted “Allahu akbar” and started shooting at Lt. Col. Brandon Shah.
SHOOTING IN OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY HALL SECOND WOUNDED; THE GUNMAN IS DEAD
An Army ROTC cadet from Old Dominion University, left, and Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, right. (Fox & Friends (left); Old Dominion University (right))
According to the cadets, Shah immediately confronted the gunman, eventually sacrificing his life to stop the attack.
“Shah closed the distance with the shooter and gave his life to bring him down,” Clement recalled.
The cadets say their ROTC training kicked in almost immediately, allowing them to respond tactically and medically after the chaos.
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Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, the person identified as the shooter at ODU on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (John Greim/LightRocket)
“As ROTC cadets, we receive training in both medical and defensive tactics,” Clement said.
“We used these as a team to treat Lieutenant Colonel Shah and the wounded as best we could, and to take the fight to the shooter.”
Jalloh was pronounced dead at the scene.
The trio also reflected on what Shah’s sacrifice and influence meant to them.
“He meant a lot to us, especially me. I have been in this program for the past four years, so we were very close during that time,” said Bego.
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“He was a great mentor, and he even played the role of a loyal friend at times. Even when the truth was painful, he was sure that he was right in everything he could do to support us and our goals.”
“He didn’t just treat us like cadets — he treated us like family,” Myers said.
