Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah (B.S. ’07) was always someone you could depend on.
That was clear in 2005, when he was a student worker in Facilities Management at Old Dominion University, changing air filters in heating and air-conditioning units and doing minor repairs at Powhatan Apartments.
“I can’t recall Brandon ever calling out or missing a day of work,” said Thomas Maddox, then a maintenance supervisor, now director of building services. He developed a lifelong friendship with Lt. Col. Shah, who was studying for his bachelor’s in sociology and criminal justice with a minor in military leadership.
Maddox watched Lt. Col. Shah’s career grow from afar — starting with his 2007 Army commissioning through deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe, where he fulfilled his Army pilot dreams by flying an AH-64 Apache during Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and Atlantic Resolve.
Lt. Col. Shah served as director of operations for the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade in Savannah, Georgia, before returning to his alma mater in 2022 to lead Old Dominion University’s Army ROTC Monarch Battalion. Despite earning numerous awards, including two Bronze Stars, logging more than 1,200 hours across three aircraft, flying combat missions, and commanding multiple battalions and squadrons, Lt. Col. Shah remained humble.
“He was the same Brandon; he was just a lieutenant colonel now,” Maddox said.
His leadership and heroism were on display on March 12, 2026, when a senseless act of violence took place in a classroom where he was teaching Army ROTC cadets. Lt. Col. Shah was fatally wounded, while protecting the students, and two students were injured before the cadets subdued the assailant. Lt. Col. Shah’s bravery and quick response, along with that of his students, prevented further injuries.
“I truly believe that Brandon knew exactly what he was doing in those final moments,” said his wife, Katherine Martin Shah, during a celebration of life service that drew hundreds of mourners to Chartway Arena on March 22, 2026. “He was protecting people. He was protecting his kids.”
While Lt. Col. Shah will be remembered as a hero at Old Dominion University — he was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree — his wife said he would be “horrified” by all the attention he is receiving.
“And then he would probably turn to me and say, ‘I was just doing my job.’”