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NORFOLK, Virginia, July 28, 2026—�������� today announced the release of an independent post-action report of the March 12, 2026 shooting that tragically took the life of a beloved ROTC instructor and wounded multiple students.

Upon the release of the report, President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., said, “We are releasing the full report with only those redactions essential to protect student privacy as part of our commitment to transparency. Doing so is a fitting way to honor the memory of Lt. Col. Shah, who tragically lost his life, and our students, who were injured and who acted heroically, skillfully and swiftly to prevent even greater harm.”

The report was prepared by the law firm Cooley LLP. The law firm was given complete freedom to interview members of the �������� community and review documents, relevant video and other materials with sole discretion over the content and recommendations in the report.

In addition to praising the “extraordinary heroism and bravery shown by Lt. Col. Shah and the ROTC cadets,” the report concludes that the March 12, 2026 attack was a “targeted terror attack on ROTC students and their leader,” which would have been “difficult if not impossible to prevent.” The report also confirms that the University had no knowledge of the student’s past conviction and was not informed by law enforcement or the student’s probation officer.

The report notes that the �������� Police Department “responded to the shooting almost immediately and effectively handled the situation.” The report also makes a series of recommendations to strengthen four areas: campus safety and security, emergency response, emergency notifications and post-admissions risk assessment.

“On behalf of the University, I want to thank Cooley LLP for the attention to detail maintained throughout their process, the candor in their findings and the thoroughness of their report. The campus community has my complete assurance that we will act quickly to fully implement Cooley’s recommendations as we actively work to make our campus as safe and secure as possible,” said President Hemphill.

View the full report.