This weekend, Ricko Jones plans to drive to Norfolk, Virginia, for a trip that he never expected to make.
"For a whole year, we were inseparable," he said, speaking of his former squad mate, Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah, the victim of the deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk earlier this month.
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Jones plans to attend Shah's funeral services this weekend in Norfolk.
Jones and Shah have maintained a friendship for more than 15 years. They texted just months ago, with Shah asking for advice on a big life event.
“He was asking about getting a puppy for his family," he said.
Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, the man who shot and killed Shah and injured two others, opened fire inside Constant Hall, which houses the university's business school. According to FBI officials, ROTC students subdued and killed Jalloh while responding to the shooting.
Jalloh was a former member of the Army National Guard and was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, according to the FBI. He was released from federal custody in December 2024.
Shah, a native of Virginia, was an alumnus of Old Dominion University and was the school's professor of military science for the ROTC program at the time of the shooting.
An official for the U.S. Army Cadet Command at Fort Knox in Kentucky, told The Associated Press that the two others wounded in the attack are members of the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at ODU.
The FBI office in Norfolk said that it was Shah's cadets who subdued Jalloh.
The organization wrote Friday that it recognizes the bravery and selfless heroism of Shah following the attack at the university.
According to the FBI, Shah "courageously confronted the attacker, placing himself between the threat and his cadets. His decisive and selfless actions exemplified the very principles he instilled in others and undoubtedly contributed to the protection of countless lives."
The organization added, "Today marks one week since this senseless act of violence, and the FBI’s investigation remains active and ongoing... During these interviews, witnesses consistently described Lt. Col. Shah’s courage, recounting how he confronted and fought the attacker to protect his cadets. Their first-hand accounts underscore the selflessness and valor he demonstrated in the face of imminent danger."
Shah's time at Fort Bragg
Shah previously served in the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
In 2009, Jones—who retired from active duty as a Sergeant First Class—deployed to Iraq alongside Shah for a year. They served in a scout unit assigned to an infantry brigade. Jones said Shah was the officer in charge.
"The entire squadron was real close, and [Shah] was a good leader," Jones recalled. "He was always involved with all of the younger troops. He was always willing to help."
Jones says Shah had reached out to him only five months ago, asking for advice on dog ownership as he planned to buy one for his wife and child. Jones also said they maintained communication about their interests in working on classic cars and how Shah ended up mentoring Jones's nephew while serving overseas.
"It was rough, it was a hard pill to swallow," Jones said. "That night, I talked to a good quarter of the unit's leaders who were calling me, checking on the guys, how we were taking it. Because it was one big family."
Jones added, "Couldn't understand how a fellow soldier could do that...It was completely senseless all the way around."
According to Old Dominion's faculty page on Shah, he last served as the Brigade S3 in the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia. Before Brigade S3, he served as the Squadron S3 in the 3-17 Air Cavalry Squadron, overseeing modernization efforts for Attack Helicopters.
XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg Commanding General Lt. Gen. Gregory Anderson said:
The soldiers and families of the XVIII Airborne Corps are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Lt. Col. Brandon Shah. Our thoughts and prayers are with Lt. Col. Shah’s family, his cadets and the entire Old Dominion University community during this incredibly difficult time. We mourn the loss of a leader, a mentor, and a teammate whose impact will live on through the cadets he inspired to serve our nation.Fort Bragg Commanding General Lt. Gen. Gregory Anderson
