Two in critical condition after shooting at Old Dominion University in US

News|Gun Violence

Two people have been hospitalised in critical condition after a gunman opened fire at Old Dominion University in Virginia.

The attack on Thursday was the latest shooting at a university in the United States, where gun violence has remained persistently high compared to other Western countries.

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Authorities said the gunman was dead following the shooting, although how the suspect was killed was not immediately clear. The gunman’s identity also has not yet been released.

In an emergency alert, the university said the shooter had opened fire shortly before 10:49am local time (14:49 GMT) in Constant Hall, the centre of the university’s ⁠college of business.

The motive for the attack was not immediately clear. Hospital authorities said the two victims were in critical condition.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said on the social platform X that it had agents on scene supporting the investigation.

Governor Abigail Spanberger also indicated that she was monitoring the situation.

“My administration remains in close contact with local emergency responders as state support is being mobilized to assist ODU and Norfolk,” she said in a post on X.

Authorities said there was no longer an active threat on campus, where classes were cancelled for the remainder of Thursday.

Gun violence in the US has remained stubbornly high and has often occurred at US schools.

The advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety found that there have been at least 19 instances of gunfire on campuses, from elementary schools to universities, since the start of 2026.

However, the Trace news site, which tracks gun violence, also noted that shootings — not including suicides — have dropped in recent years after spiking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, 110 people were shot per day in the US in 2025.

In December, two people were killed in a shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Earlier that month, one person was killed in a shooting at Kentucky State University.