Old Dominion University: 2 Injured and Gunman Dead in Constant Hall — What Officials Say
old dominion university confirmed that a gunman opened fire in Constant Hall, leaving two people injured and the shooter dead, in an incident that forced the campus to cancel classes and suspend operations. Emergency responders, campus police and city officers converged on the business school building; federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation also moved onto the scene as authorities worked to secure the area.
Background and context: timeline, campus and immediate actions
The shooting occurred just before 10: 49 a. m. ET in Constant Hall, an academic building described as the hub for the College of Business with two lecture halls and 19 classrooms. Two people were injured and transported to a local hospital. The university canceled classes and suspended all operations on its main campus for the remainder of the day, and asked the campus community to avoid the area in and around Constant Hall while emergency personnel continued to work.
Shortly before 11: 45 a. m. ET the school announced there was no longer a threat on campus. Officials have yet to publicly identify the suspected gunman or those who were hurt. The public university enrolls more than 23, 000 students, and the shooting prompted nearby Norfolk Public Schools to place three elementary schools under a secure hold as officials enacted safety protocols.
Old Dominion University response and law enforcement involvement
Old Dominion University Police, Norfolk Police and emergency personnel responded immediately to the scene. The university said the gunman is deceased; it was not immediately clear how the shooter died. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it had agents on scene supporting the response, and FBI personnel were providing assistance.
Kash Patel, director of the FBI, said FBI personnel “are providing assistance and working with local authorities responding to the shooting at Old Dominion University. ” The director added that the agency would update as able. The presence of both federal and local law enforcement underscores a coordinated multiagency response focused on securing the campus, tending to the injured and beginning any necessary investigative work.
Implications: campus safety, operational disruption and unanswered questions
The incident has immediate operational consequences: classes and campus activities were paused, and the university restricted access to a central academic building. With Constant Hall serving as a core facility for business instruction, the disruption will affect courses and administrative functions tied to that college. The university asked the community to avoid the area while emergency personnel continued to work.
Several key questions remain open. Officials have not released the identities of those injured or of the deceased gunman, and investigators have not disclosed how the shooter died. The involvement of federal agencies and the campus police response will be central to understanding both the motive and the sequence of events. For a university with more than 23, 000 students, the incident also raises immediate questions about communication, lockdown procedures and how quickly campus-wide alerts reached those inside Constant Hall.
old dominion university’s decision to suspend operations for the day and the placement of nearby elementary schools on secure hold reflect a broader regional ripple effect beyond the campus perimeter. As investigators work to stabilize the scene and gather facts, local families, students and faculty will be watching for details about victims, the identity of the shooter and the next steps for campus safety reviews.
old dominion university faces both an immediate recovery challenge and longer-term scrutiny of emergency protocols: what changes will be pursued, which lines of inquiry will investigators prioritize, and how the campus community will be supported in the aftermath remain to be seen. How the university balances transparency with investigative needs will shape public confidence in the days ahead.
