#295 Samuel Reineberg - First-Hand Account of the Old Dominion Terrorist Attack

April 13, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

On March 12, 2026, Army ROTC cadet Sam Reineberg was sitting in a military science class at Old Dominion University when a man walked in, asked if it was the ROTC class, shouted "Allahu Akbar," and opened fire. Within four minutes, Reineberg and three other cadets had physically overpowered and killed the shooter—using only their hands, a small knife, and a metal water bottle. But the day did not end there. Reineberg spent the next hour trying to keep his professor, Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shaw, alive. He would later learn that Shaw died at the hospital. In this conversation, Reineberg walks through every second of the attack, the aftermath, and the anger he feels about a system he believes made it all preventable.

The Attack and the Response

Reineberg describes a normal class day. He had arrived early to prepare a presentation on Transportation Command. Colonel Shaw had just finished giving critiques, including a characteristic bit of humor about Reineberg blocking a shorter classmate during her presentation. Shaw told the class he might not see them after spring break. Then the door opened.

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What you'll learn

1 Timestamped Outline
2 (01:04) **Introduction of Sam Reineberg** - Shawn introduces Sam, an Army ROTC cadet at Old Dominion University who responded to the March 12th active shooter attack
3 (04:24) **Receiving the Medal at the Funeral** - Sam describes the surreal experience of being honored while standing next to Colonel Shaw's grieving family
4 (09:52) **Gift Exchange** - Shawn gives Sam a SIG Sauer P365 Legion as an upgraded everyday carry gun
5 (13:19) **Sam's Military Background** - Sam explains his path from enlisted soldier to ROTC cadet commissioning as a logistics officer
6 (17:13) **Hawaii Assignment the Day After the Attack** - Sam found out about his Hawaii orders the day after the shooting, which was the first day of spring break
7 (21:37) **The Morning of March 12th** - Sam describes the normal start to the day that turned into a nightmare

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Prior-enlisted in the U.S. Army, he began his military career as an 88K (Watercraft Operator) at Fort Eustis, Virginia, where he served aboard the Logistics Support Vessel (LSV-5) and later became the first Leading Seaman of the Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL).

In 2023, he was selected for a Division Commander’s Green to Gold scholarship, transitioning to become an Army Officer candidate. He is currently a Leadership Science major at Old Dominion University and a senior in the Army ROTC program, with plans to commission as an Active Duty Second Lieutenant this May.

Most recently, he was recognized by the Secretary of the Army and the Sergeant Major of the Army for the actions he and his peers took in response to the attack at Old Dominion University.

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