Kenya Mcchell Chapman, 32, of Smithfield, Virginia, appeared in federal court today. Authorities charged him by criminal complaint with dealing in firearms without a license in connection with the March 12 shooting at Old Dominion University (ODU), along with three counts of making false statements during firearm purchases. View complaint here. View affidavit here.
“The Biden Department of Justice declined to prosecute this man and let him off easy with a warning,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Left-wing soft-on-crime policies cost lives — but this Department of Justice doesn’t tolerate crime, we punish it.”
“Chapman allegedly stole a firearm and illegally sold it to a convicted terrorist, who murdered a decorated American veteran, and he will finally face the full weight of justice,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated ATF and FBI agents, in partnership with state and local law enforcement officers, we have arrested and charged this safety threat and removed him from the community.”
“If you steal firearms, lie on federal forms, and put weapons in the hands of convicted terrorists, this FBI will find you,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “I want to thank our Norfolk Field Office and partners who continue to work 24/7 to bring to justice those responsible for yesterday’s attack. In the meantime, we continue to keep the victims, their families, and the entire Old Dominion community in our prayers.”
On March 12, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, carried out a shooting at ODU in Norfolk during an Army Reserve Officer’s Training Corp (ROTC) class, killing one victim and injuring two others. Today, law enforcement officers searched Chapman’s residence and found ammunition consistent with the firearm recovered from the ODU shooting. Investigators say Chapman stole the firearm from a vehicle in Newport News one year before the ODU shooting and sold it to Jalloh just days before the attack.
Jalloh was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2016 for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Because of his felony conviction, Jalloh could not legally purchase or possess firearms or ammunition.
According to court documents, Chapman also allegedly bought three firearms in 2021 that authorities later recovered from crime scenes shortly after the purchases. Investigators found two at the scene of a homicide and another during a drunk-in-public incident.
If convicted, Chapman faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke Bresnahan and Rebecca Gantt for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.