FBI: Old Dominion Gunman Said 'Allah Akbar' as He Commenced Attack
Analysis Summary
This article tries to persuade you that the ODU shooting was a religiously motivated terrorist attack by linking the shooter to ISIS and his use of "Allah Akbar." It creates an "us vs. them" mentality and uses emotionally charged language, but it leaves out important details about the shooter's mental state, how he was released from prison early, and the broader context of the phrase "Allah Akbar."
FATE Analysis
Four dimensions of psychological manipulation: how content captures Focus, exploits Authority, triggers Tribal identity, and engineers Emotion.
Authority signals
"Newsmax video from an FBI press conference indicates that the Old Dominion University (ODU) gunman said, “Allah Akbar,” as he commenced his attack."
The article uses 'Newsmax video from an FBI press conference' as a source, leveraging the institutional authority of both Newsmax (as a media outlet) and the FBI to lend credibility to the claim, even if indirectly.
"During a Thursday afternoon presser, the FBI made clear that Jalloh said, “Allah Akbar,” as he commenced his attack:"
Directly credits the FBI with making a clear statement, appealing to the agency's perceived authority to validate the crucial detail about the gunman's utterance.
"AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. He enjoys reading Philosophy and novels by Jack Carr and Nelson DeMille. Follow him on X: @awrhawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com."
This extensive author bio lists various credentials, affiliations, and achievements. While a standard author bio, its length and detail, including a PhD and various roles, serve to bolster the author's perceived expertise and authority, not necessarily on the specific event but on related topics (Second Amendment, military history) which influences the reader's perception of the article as a whole.
Tribe signals
"Newsmax video from an FBI press conference indicates that the Old Dominion University (ODU) gunman said, “Allah Akbar,” as he commenced his attack. Earlier on Thursday, Breitbart News cited various reports identifying the ODU shooter as a former National Guardsman who was convicted of supporting ISIS."
The immediate emphasis on 'Allah Akbar' and the shooter's conviction for 'supporting ISIS' quickly frames the event within an existing 'us-vs-them' narrative, positioning the perpetrator as an extremist 'other' aligned with a known adversarial group. This can trigger pre-existing tribal affiliations or antagonisms, even if the primary sources (FBI) are being quoted directly for the statement itself.
"The New York Post noted that Jalloh allegedly entered a classroom in ODU’s Constant Hall, “asked if it was an ROTC class,” then began shooting after being answered in the affirmative. He shot the instructor before being killed by ROTC students."
The detail about the shooter targeting an 'ROTC class' and being 'killed by ROTC students' sets up a clear 'us-vs-them' scenario. It positions military-affiliated individuals (ROTC) as the 'us' group, victims, and eventual heroes, against an 'othered' attacker. This frames the conflict tribally, appealing to a sense of shared identity and protective instincts towards the military/patriotic 'tribe'.
"The alleged Old Dominion attacker, 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was arrested on July 3, 2016, “for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.” In 2017, he was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison."
By immediately linking the attacker to 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant', the article uses this association as a potent tribal marker. It weaponizes the identity of 'ISIS supporter' to define the attacker, not just as a criminal, but as an enemy of a broader, implied 'us' (e.g., Western society, patriots). This can convert an act of violence into a tribal conflict.
Emotion signals
"Newsmax video from an FBI press conference indicates that the Old Dominion University (ODU) gunman said, “Allah Akbar,” as he commenced his attack. Earlier on Thursday, Breitbart News cited various reports identifying the ODU shooter as a former National Guardsman who was convicted of supporting ISIS. The alleged Old Dominion attacker, 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was arrested on July 3, 2016, “for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.”"
The repeated emphasis on 'Allah Akbar' and the immediate linking of the shooter to 'supporting ISIS' and being convicted for 'material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' is highly charged. While factual if true, its prominence and early placement are designed to elicit strong outrage and fear associated with terrorism and religious extremism, rather than simply reporting a crime. The article uses these details to amplify emotional intensity beyond what might be presented in a neutral report of a shooting.
"The New York Post noted that Jalloh allegedly entered a classroom in ODU’s Constant Hall, “asked if it was an ROTC class,” then began shooting after being answered in the affirmative. He shot the instructor before being killed by ROTC students."
The detail that the attacker specifically sought out an 'ROTC class' and then commenced shooting can induce fear and a sense of vulnerability, especially among those who identify with military personnel or educational settings. It implies a targeted attack, which can be more emotionally impactful than a random act of violence, creating a specific fear for safety in academic or military-affiliated environments.
Narrative Analysis (PCP)
How the article reshapes thinking: Perception (what beliefs are targeted), Context (what information is shifted or omitted), and Permission (what behavior is being encouraged).
The article aims to instill the belief that acts of domestic violence, particularly mass shootings, can be directly linked to Islamic extremism and specifically to the phrase 'Allah Akbar'. It wants the reader to believe that the ODU shooting was not an isolated act of violence, but a religiously motivated terrorist attack carried out by someone with a history of supporting international terrorist organizations.
The article shifts the context from a domestic shooting incident to one of international terrorism and religious extremism. By highlighting the shooter's past ISIS connections and the use of 'Allah Akbar', it pushes the narrative towards a 'war on terror' framework, rather than a discussion of gun violence or domestic radicalization.
The article omits crucial context regarding the circumstances of the shooter's release from prison (he was sentenced to 11 years but apparently committed this act), details about his mental state, any personal grievances he might have had, or the specific timeline between his conviction, release, and the current event. The lack of information about his conviction sentence (11 years) versus this new incident creates a gap in understanding how he was able to carry out this attack. It also omits details about the frequency or nature of 'Allah Akbar' being used by non-terrorist actors in normal religious or emotional contexts, which could provide alternative interpretations to the phrase's usage in this incident.
The article nudges the reader toward increased vigilance against individuals perceived as potential Islamic extremists, an acceptance of strong counter-terrorism measures domestically, and potentially, a hardening of attitudes towards Muslim communities. It implicitly permits the reader to associate Islamic phrases with violence and terrorism.
SMRP Pattern
Four manipulation maintenance tactics: Socializing the idea as normal, Minimizing concerns, Rationalizing with logic, and Projecting blame.
Red Flags
High-severity indicators: silencing dissent, coordinated messaging, or weaponizing identity to shut down debate.
"During a Thursday afternoon presser, the FBI made clear that Jalloh said, “Allah Akbar,” as he commenced his attack: The FBI indicated that Jalloh was “subdued” and “rendered him no longer alive” by ROTC members in the classroom."
"Earlier on Thursday, Breitbart News cited various reports identifying the ODU shooter as a former National Guardsman who was convicted of supporting ISIS. The alleged Old Dominion attacker, 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was arrested on July 3, 2016, “for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.” In 2017, he was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison."
Techniques Found(3)
Specific propaganda techniques identified using the SemEval-2023 academic taxonomy of 23 techniques across 6 categories.
"Newsmax video from an FBI press conference indicates that the Old Dominion University (ODU) gunman said, “Allah Akbar,” as he commenced his attack."
The article immediately links the phrase 'Allah Akbar' to the attack, implying this religious utterance is a primary or sole cause for the violence, oversimplifying any potential complex motivations the individual might have had.
"the Old Dominion University (ODU) gunman said, “Allah Akbar,” as he commenced his attack."
The inclusion of 'Allah Akbar' in the opening sentence, especially given its common association with extremist violence in Western media, is used to evoke a strong emotional reaction and pre-frame the attacker and his motives in a specific, negatively charged light, disproportionate to simply stating he 'said something'.
"Earlier on Thursday, Breitbart News cited various reports identifying the ODU shooter as a former National Guardsman who was convicted of supporting ISIS. The alleged Old Dominion attacker, 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was arrested on July 3, 2016, “for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.” In 2017, he was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison."
By extensively detailing the attacker's past conviction for 'supporting ISIS' and 'material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,' the article links the individual to a widely condemned terrorist organization, creating negative associations and priming the reader to view the current event through that lens, regardless of its direct relevance to the immediate incident or any proven continued affiliation.