NPR News Now: March 12, 2026 — Multiple Attacks, Economic Fallout, and a Diplomatic Scandal

A man armed with a rifle rammed a vehicle into a major synagogue in a Detroit suburb Wednesday and was fatally shot by security, in what authorities described as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community. Stephen Ingber, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Detroit, responded defiantly: "To be loud and proud of being Jewish. This will not change us, this will not deter us, and we will continue." An officer was knocked unconscious during the incident, and 30 law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation.

Shooting at Old Dominion University

In a separate attack, a gunman burst into an ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia, killing one person and wounding two others before being subdued by students. According to FBI agent in charge of the Norfolk Field Office, Dominique Evans, "There were students that were in that room that subdued him and rendered him no longer alive." Police identified the gunman as Muhammad Jalal, a former Virginia National Guard specialist. Jalal had been convicted in 2017 of attempting to plot an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack inside the U.S., was sentenced to 10 years, but was released in 2024. It remains unclear what prompted this latest attack. The university has canceled classes through Friday.