Stop me if you've heard this one before. Crazed gunman opens fire on a college campus that prohibits students and faculty from carrying firearms for their protection; two are injured by said gunman, who is now deceased.
This very scenario played out Thursday morning at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Virginia.
According to reports, the gunman – or "gun-person," as the case may be – opened fire just before 10:50 a.m. at ODU's Constant Hall, which houses the university's College of Business. Locals noticed the heavy law enforcement presence and flooded social media with video.
This was from 10:48 am. The first wave of cops rushing to the scene on the lamberts point side of campus by the football stadium. pic.twitter.com/bnpldp0r4d
— Gray Crigger (@chesafreakboyz1) March 12, 2026
ODU sent out an emergency alert at 10:40 a.m. urging those on campus to follow "Run-Hide-Fight protocols," followed by another at 11:30 a.m., stating, "Due to an active shooter situation in which the shooter has been neutralized, all classes and operations on the main campus are suspended for the remainder of the day (Thursday, March 12, 2026). Avoid the area in and around Constant Hall where emergency officials continue to work. An update will be provided as soon as possible."
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A final alert issued at 12:05 p.m. gave the all clear.
O.D.U. Urgent Alert: This is an all clear notification. The emergency at Constant Hall has ended. There is no longer an active threat to the campus community. Avoid the area in and around Constant Hall where emergency officials continue to work.
School officials followed this up by revealing that two persons had been injured during the shooting and that the gunman was dead.
Shortly before 10:49 a.m., Constant Hall opened fire. Two people were injured. Old Dominion University Police, Norfolk Police and emergency personnel responded; immediately. The gunman is now deceased. The injured were transported to a local hospital.
Names of the injured and the suspected gunman have yet to be released.
What is clear, however, is that students and faculty would have been at a disadvantage in this situation because they are prohibited from carrying firearms while on campus.
Possession or carrying of any weapon by any person, except a police officer, is prohibited on university property in academic buildings, administrative office buildings, student residence buildings, or dining facilities, or while attending sporting, entertainment, or educational events. Entry upon the university property described in this section in violation of this chapter is expressly forbidden.
In fact, ODU ensures their students, faculty, and employees are sitting ducks in such situations by prohibiting all manner of "weapons" on campus.
"Weapon" means (i) firearms; (ii) knives, machetes, straight razors, spring sticks, metal knucks, or blackjacks; (iii) any flailing instrument consisting of two or more rigid parts connected in such a manner as to allow them to swing freely, which may be known as a nun chahka, nun chuck, nunchaku, shuriken, or fighting chain; (iv) any disc, of whatever configuration having at least two points or pointed blades, that is designed to be thrown or propelled and that may be known as a throwing star or oriental dart; and (v) any electrical conduction weapon including tasers.
Meanwhile, Virginia Democrats, who control both houses of the state General Assembly, are moving to impose stricter gun control measures in the commonwealth, including a possible ban on "assault weapons."
This is a developing story. RedState will give updates as events warrant.
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