NORFOLK, Va. — When Ashley Denton's phone began lighting up with alerts about a shooting at her alma mater, the emotions hit immediately.
"There's just all these alerts that are going off. And you know, it's about the shooting that's happening," Denton said.
A shooting at Old Dominion University left one person dead and two others injured Thursday morning after 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh opened fire inside Constant Hall, a classroom and academic facility on campus. The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism.
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FBI: Deadly shooting at ODU was act of terrorism; gunman killed by students
For Denton, an ODU alumna, school counselor and mother of two, the tragedy was deeply personal.
"Oh my goodness. You know, it's like, I'm not the only one in the family that went, I went, my little brother went, my little cousin went," Denton said.
Denton said the uncertainty of not knowing who was hurt made the situation especially frightening — and that her fears extended beyond the present moment.
"It's scary knowing, or just not knowing, honestly, what could be going on? Who's hurt, who's injured? It's scary just thinking about in the future, you know, one day my kids are going to go to college," Denton said.
As a school counselor, Denton said she understands the long-term psychological toll this kind of event takes on a community.
"This isn't going to be, you know, a one day thing for everyone that's on campus. It's going to be something that's going to impact them, probably, for the rest of their lives. And there are people whose loved ones aren't coming home tonight, you know, and so just extending those prayers," Denton said.
Watch: Deadly shooting at Old Dominion University was act of terrorism, FBI says
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