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

Summary

---

The Shawn Ryan Show — Episode #295

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

Guest: Samuel Reineberg
Host: Shawn Ryan
Date: April 13, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this powerful and emotional episode, Shawn Ryan sits down with Samuel Reineberg, a senior Army ROTC cadet who was at the center of the March 12, 2026, terrorist attack at Old Dominion University. Recently honored for his actions with a Soldier’s Medal, Sam shares a raw, first-person account of that day—detailing the events that unfolded in the classroom, his split-second decisions, the aftermath for him and his classmates, and the enduring grief of losing their instructor, Lt. Col. Brandon Shaw. The conversation delves into trauma, heroism, survivor’s guilt, and the preventable failures that led to the tragedy, all while capturing the camaraderie and fortitude of those who stood together in the face of evil.

---

Key Topics and Discussion Points

Introduction and Background

• Introducing Samuel Reineberg (02:09)
  • Former enlisted U.S. Army watercraft operator, served on LSV5, selected for the Green to Gold Scholarship, ROTC senior at ODU.
  • About to commission as a second lieutenant; awarded a Meritorious Service Medal (being upgraded to Soldier’s Medal) for heroism during the attack.

“Cadet Samuel D. Reineberg, for exceptionally heroic actions while serving as a cadet at the Old Dominion University, while responding to an active shooter incident in life-threatening emergency on 12th March, 2026... displayed incredible courage under extreme circumstances.” — Interviewer (03:12)

• Emotional weight of the honor (04:26)

  • Ceremony at Col. Shaw’s funeral; Sam’s mixed feelings—honor, responsibility, and survivor’s guilt.

  “...the family came up to me... telling me thank you. And I am only able to respond with, I'm so sorry. Because I can't even imagine—I'm having a hard time. I can't imagine them.” — Sam (05:13)

Unit Camaraderie & Recovery

• Close bonds with fellow cadets (07:51-08:45)

  • Survival and shared trauma have forged strong connections; updates on the wounded, ongoing recovery.

• Maintaining resilience with activity and support (01:40, 09:46)

  • Sam coping by staying active and relying on community.

Early Life & Military Path

• Military family and career path (13:34-15:25)
  • Enlisted at 18, followed family footsteps; experiences as a watercraft operator.
• Upcoming Commission and Future Assignment (16:41-18:38)
  • Branching into logistics, assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii with the 25th Infantry Division—received orders the day after the attack.

March 12, 2026: The Attack

• Setting the Scene (21:41-23:50)

  • Routine ROTC day—scavenger hunt PT, class presentations.
  • Civilian clothes for force protection due to global incidents (Iran conflict).

• Classroom Moments (23:51-28:18)

  • Normal class, critique by Col. Shaw; attacker unexpectedly enters.
  • Odd detail: locked door was inexplicably accessible, raising questions later.

The Attack Unfolds

• Shooter’s Entrance and Immediate Threat (28:49-31:20)

  • Attacker (Muhammad Jalal) enters, asks if it’s ROTC, then opens fire point-blank after shouting “Allahu Akbar.”
  • Chaos and instant reaction by cadets.

• Cadet Response and Combat (33:14-35:43)

  • Col. Shaw charges and bear-hugs the shooter despite being shot.
  • Four cadets, including Sam, engage physically: tackling, wrestling for the weapon, pinning the shooter and disabling his firearm by grabbing the slide.
  • Use of extreme force—cadets stab and disable attacker.

“He, while being shot at, took steps forward and like bear, like bear hugged the shooter while being shot at.” — Sam (31:38)

“There was like four of us total that handled this guy. We're immediately trying to like, go for the gun... As soon as we had our hands on the top of the slide of this Glock... I turned around: so everyone get the hell out of here. Somebody call 911.” — Sam (33:14, condensed)

• Administering Aid to Col. Shaw (38:15-44:32)

  • Focus shifts to first aid: major femoral bleed, improvised and replaced failed tourniquet, moved to hallway and outside for ambulance extraction.
  • Sam covered in blood, desperately trying to save his instructor.

• Post-event Chaos & Emotional Aftermath (45:57-54:58)

  • Confusion, police interviews, notification of Col. Shaw’s passing hours later.
  • Blood exposure protocols, hospital, sleepless nights, anxiety.
  • Profound moment: “Everything is after me, but I’m okay. I was just… there.” — Sam (50:52)

Survivors' Experiences and Processing Trauma

• Immediate aftermath and ongoing mental health (59:33-63:33)
  • Heightened anxiety, stress, and nightmares, especially after seeing Col. Shaw’s “big eyes” in those moments.
  • Isolation, lack of appetite, haunted by the memory of trying to stop the bleeding.
• Survivor's Guilt and Grieving (96:20-98:22)
  • Main struggle is not with fighting the attacker, but with feelings of loss and responsibility for Col. Shaw’s death.

“It's not so much... guilt in the beginning, but now it's more, just the sadness... seeing somebody you were taking care of alive and talking, then... laying in uniform in a casket.” — Sam (97:14-98:22)

Tactics, Timelines & Heroism

• Physical Response Details (68:53–70:15)

  • Cadets quickly pin the shooter, prevent more gunfire by holding the slide, attacker subdued and killed in under four minutes.

• Official Timeline (71:42–72:58)

  • 10:43am — Jalal enters, opens fire.
  • 10:43–10:47 — Cadets intervene, attack ends.
  • 10:47 — Police arrive, shooter already dead.
  • 10:48 — Campus alert issued.
  • 12:10 — All-clear given.

“That is unfucking real that you guys, in less than four minutes were able to kill that dude... You guys, the team.” — Interviewer (72:58)

• Breakdown of participants and casualties (64:21-67:43)
  • 28 people present; four cadets made hands-on contact, others supported with aid.
  • Col. Shaw killed; two cadets wounded but survived; attacker fatally subdued.

Institutional Responses & Systemic Failures

• Perplexing university response (76:29-78:02)

  • Sam receives bizarre email: "ODU doesn't have any intention of pressing charges against you..." for action taken in self-defense against the terrorist.
  • University president personally calls with support, informs Sam of tragedies at other universities where no one intervened, celebrates their courage.

• Recommendations and Memorials (80:56-83:33)

  • Sam urges enhanced security for ROTC cadets post-attack.
  • Plans to honor Col. Shaw: camo jerseys at football game, Apache flyover, naming stadium area “Shaw’s Corner”.

The Terrorist: Background and Radicalization

• Radicalization & FBI failings (84:44-89:28)
  • Host details shooter’s timeline: US Army service, exposure to jihadi propaganda, direct ISIS encouragement, FBI sting and conviction for attempting to aid ISIS.
  • Shooter released two-and-a-half years early from federal prison due to a now-closed loophole via a drug abuse program (despite no drug offenses).
  • Host and Sam express outrage at the government's systemic failure and ongoing support for groups like the Taliban.

“Why the would you release a terrorist, a terrorist two and a half years early on a residential drug abuse program? Whoever the did that needs to go to prison.” — Host (89:16)

Faith, Reflection, and Moving Forward

• Faith and Healing (106:01–108:02)
  • Sam is Catholic; receives a "Warrior Rosary" as a sign of protection.
  • Ends with heartfelt prayers for Col. Shaw and his family—Sam leads the prayer, with Shawn following.

“God, thank you for bringing us here today, keeping us safe... I pray that you see Colonel Shaw's family and protect them, and bring them as many blessings as you can, and that you bring his son into your arms and keep him safe. Amen.” — Sam (108:18)

• Sam’s Motivation and Commitment (103:29)

  • Rejects the notion of separation/disability; plans to continue serving.

• Message to Comrades and Col. Shaw’s Son (103:52–105:46)

  • “I'm proud of them. I'm proud and thankful for every single one of them... I miss you, man. I do... I hope you know I tried my best. We tried our best. The team.”
  • “Your dad, he loved you so much. We all knew that as a class... Everything he did was for his son. And same for his wife.”

---

Notable Quotes & Defining Moments

• “There was no thinking involved. I don’t recall any, like, time during the course of those few minutes where I was, like, deliberating over what I should do. It was just doing.” — Sam (73:30)

• “You charged a terrorist that was killing people...with no weapon, all of us, or most of us, with no weapon.” — Interviewer, on the team’s response (75:04)

• “It's the, it's, it's Colonel Shaw and, and taking care of him... That part of it is... the hard part for me is that part.” — Sam, on survivor’s guilt (96:20)

• “Do you want to tell his 10 year old son what kind of man he was?”
  "Your dad, he loved you so much. We all knew that as a class and we never even met him. I met his son and everything...everything he did was for his son. And same for his wife." — (105:03–105:46)

---

Timestamps of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |----------------|---------------------------------------------| | 02:09–03:12 | Sam’s introduction and medal citation | | 04:26–05:38 | Survivor's guilt and funeral experience | | 13:34–15:25 | Early military career and Army boats | | 16:41–18:38 | Finding out posting to Hawaii post-attack | | 21:41–23:50 | The day of the attack: Setting the scene | | 28:49–31:38 | The attacker enters, starts shooting | | 33:14–35:43 | Cadets tackle shooter, struggle for weapon | | 38:15–44:32 | Trying to save Col. Shaw, blood loss | | 45:57–54:58 | Aftermath: Blood, confusion, notification | | 59:33–63:33 | Trauma, nightmares, and mental health | | 68:53–70:15 | Weapon disables, team effort | | 71:42–72:58 | Official attack timeline | | 76:29–78:02 | Strange university legal email | | 80:56–83:33 | Memorials and security for ROTC at ODU | | 84:44–87:50 | Shooter’s radicalization timeline | | 89:16–89:31 | Host's outrage at early prison release | | 97:14–98:22 | Viewing Col. Shaw at the funeral | | 103:52–104:59 | Sam's message for comrades and Shaw | | 105:03–105:46 | Sam’s words to Col. Shaw’s son | | 106:01–108:18 | Faith, rosary gift, ending prayer |

---

Themes and Tone

• Candid and Unfiltered: Both Shawn and Sam speak directly and emotionally, unafraid to voice anger at systemic failures.
• Heroism and Teamwork: Great emphasis on the courage, instinct, and unity of the cadets, especially in moments of crisis.
• Faith, Grief, and Healing: The process of moving forward after trauma, survivor’s guilt, and leaning on faith.
• Accountability and Institutional Critique: Harsh light shone on the government’s policy failures that contributed to the attack.

---

Final Reflection

This episode is more than a recounting of a tragedy; it’s a portrait of courage under fire, the burden of survival, and the complex reality of responding to evil when the systems meant to protect us fail. Sam Reineberg’s candor, humility, and continued commitment to service make this a defining conversation—one that both honors the fallen and challenges listeners to reflect on duty, sacrifice, and the meaning of heroism in America today.

---

Transcript

[Taco Bell Announcer]

Life is full of choices. But the choice between getting crispy chicken nuggets or a Crunchwrap slider isn't one you'll have to make. The new crispy Chicken Crunchwrap slider at Taco Bell. All white meat chicken nuggets breaded in tortilla chips, wrapped up sauce and all inside a slider sized crunchwrap. Choose from creamy chipotle or jalapeno honey mustard. Well, there we go. Life still full of choices. The new crispy chicken Crunchwrap slider. A brand new classic only a Taco bell and participating U.S. taco Bell locations for a limited time and while supplies last year.

[Depop Advertiser]

Last night you spent two hours deciding what to wear to the party this morning. It'll take you two minutes to list it on Depop and make your money back. Just grab your phone, snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest. The sheer dress and platform heels you'll never wear again. There's a birthday girl searching for them right now. Your one and done look is about to pay for your next night out or at least the ride home. Your style can make you cash. Start selling on Depop where taste recognizes taste.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Foreignberg, welcome to the show, man.

[Sam Reineberg]

Thanks. Sean.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

How are you doing?

[Sam Reineberg]

I'm good. Really good. Really happy to be here.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Well, it's an honor to have you here. Been through it this month.

[Sam Reineberg]

It's been a month.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

I'll bet it has.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

I'll bet it has been.

[Sam Reineberg]

Up and down. But through everything I still. I'm still grateful.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You seem good.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. Amazing time being here. Even before I got here. Been active. Doing things. Staying out, staying outside.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Keep it yourself busy.

[Sam Reineberg]

Oh yeah. You have to. You have to. I mean if. When I've not been busy, it's when my mind gets busy, you know?

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Oh, I do. I do.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Let me give you an introduction here.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You ready?

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Sam Reineberg. Prior enlisted, U.S. army soldier. 88 kilo watercraft operator from Fort Eustis, Virginia. Served aboard the Logistics Support Vessel LSV5. First leading seaman of the Maneuver Support Vessel Light MSVL. Earned a Division Commander's Green to Gold Scholarship in 2023. Leadership science major at Old Dominion University. Senior in the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps ROTC program. Commissioning as an active duty second lieutenant the this May. You're here to talk about what happened on March 12. You received a meritorious service medal for your actions at Old Dominion University on March 12.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Which is being upgraded, correct?

[Sam Reineberg]

That's correct. Soldiers medal.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

To a soldier's medal. Congratulations.

[Sam Reineberg]

Thank You.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Do you mind if I read your citation?

[Sam Reineberg]

Not at all.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Cadet Samuel D. Reineberg, for exceptionally heroic actions while serving as a cadet at the Old Dominion University, while responding to an active shooter incident in life threatening emergency on 12th March, 2026. In the face of extraordinary danger and with total disregard to his own personal safety, Cadet Reinenberg displayed incredible courage under extreme circumstances. His selfless service and personal courage are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him in the United States army. This day, this 21st day of March, 2026.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, that was at the funeral.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

That was at the funeral. They gave that to you?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, they. They had a small ceremony prior to the beginning of the funeral. That day. The Sergeant Major of the army and the Secretary of the army put that on me.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

How'd that feel?

[Sam Reineberg]

It's indifferent. It's great to have them there to be present, like having those leaders present. But in the moment, standing there in front of a bunch of people I know and don't know, and to my right was the family of Colonel Shaw. That. I never had a feeling like that because of getting a medal put on me. But the end result, that I really take some, really a lot of responsibility for. Colonel Shaw didn't make it.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You take responsibility for that?

[Sam Reineberg]

Not, no, but like, just how it happened. It was like I was working on him. I don't know how to. If it's survivor's guilt, but.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Yeah, you were working on him. Trying to revive him.

[Sam Reineberg]

Not revive him. Keep him alive. Stop the bleeding. Yeah, get him out of there. So the family is just seeing the family. And then after the Sergeant Major of the army and Secretary of the army, like, said their words about that day, the family came up to me. The cousins, the aunts, the uncles. And I'm standing there in my, my, my dress uniform and they're saying, they're saying thank you to me. They're thanking me. And I am only able to respond with, I'm so sorry. Because that's just how I, you know, it's just. I can't even imagine, because I'm having a hard time. I can't imagine them, you know, giving me hugs, telling me thank you. And it wasn't just me, it was the other five of us, six of us that were up there, them going through the same thing with the team.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

There was eight of you in total, correct?

[Sam Reineberg]

It will. There was one that was shot, that had ran on foot after she was shot in the leg. So that minus that one leaves seven or Six. Six that got awarded. The one guy who got awarded, he actually had his awards, his purple heart and his meritorious service medal given to him at his. In his hospital room by the Secretary of the army and the sergeant Major of the Army.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Are you close with the other guys?

[Sam Reineberg]

Oh, yeah. Especially now.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

I'll bet.

[Sam Reineberg]

Especially now. Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Team, how are they doing?

[Sam Reineberg]

I think they're good for the most part. I'm sure it's pretty similar to my experience. It comes and goes in terms of like thinking about it, not thinking about it, but I've seen all of them. Yeah, they're in good spirits.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Good, good.

[Sam Reineberg]

All of them.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

That's great to hear.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. Even. Even the one that was hit in the stomach.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Is he out of the hospital?

[Sam Reineberg]

Out of the hospital? Yeah, out of the hospital. Completed the surgeries. He's good.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

I know he was going to come today, but he can't fly.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, he was going to come. I really wish he could have came.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Well, I, I mean, I don't know if it got back to you guys, but you have an open invite, so. Yeah, he is able to fly.

[Sam Reineberg]

He. I'm not sure.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

We will fly you up here and do whatever the you want at the studio.

[Sam Reineberg]

So that was, that was what he. That was, that is what he wanted to do. He just wanted to hang out with you. Shoot. Shoot the. Do whatever, you know, just the experience. And when I told him, I was like, hey, there's this opportunity. Like you want to go? He was in his hospital bed when I told him and he was like, like it was like night and day. The energy change.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Yeah, that's cool, man.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Well, when he's up to speed, up to par. Yeah, we'll get you guys back up here.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, I. I don't even. I haven't even asked him about recovery yet. I just happy to see him.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Right on. Right on, man.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Well, look, before we get too heavy

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

here and it's already pretty heavy. Got you a gift. You know, everybody gets a gift.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

So sweet Vigilant sleep gummy bears. Made in the USA, legal in all 50 states. But I actually got you a better

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

gift, so, you know, I mean.

[Sam Reineberg]

Oh my.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

You told me about your everyday carrier earlier.

[Sam Reineberg]

I do.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What is it?

[Sam Reineberg]

It's a Palmetto State Armory dagger compact with. It's a green sniper. Green.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Nice.

[Sam Reineberg]

It's pretty big. Every day. It's a pretty big everyday carry. Not going to lie. It is pretty. It's pretty fat. But it works.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Hey, if it works, that's all that matters, right?

[Sam Reineberg]

It Works. Ish.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Well, I want to give you a little upgrade, so. You know, I got a buddy over at Sig. His name's Jason. And I told him you were coming on today, and.

[Sam Reineberg]

Oh, my God.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

I don't think any guest I've ever

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

had deserves a everyday carry gun as much as you.

[Sam Reineberg]

Oh, gosh. Thank you.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Let me know what you think.

[Sam Reineberg]

Let me look at it. Oh, God, I'm. It means a lot.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Hey, might want to take a look at it first.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

It might be a downgrade.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, I'm trying to. Holy crap. Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Oh, God.

[Sam Reineberg]

The flared Magwell, too.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Blow it up.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What do you think?

[Sam Reineberg]

The flared Magwell. Oh, my God.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

With the all metal, that's the 365 Legion by Sig Sauer. It's got their brand new optics up top. It's got the ported slide there to help with muzzle flip and recoil. It's got the flared out magwell. Like you had already said, it's all metal, no polymer. Thing is a beast.

[Sam Reineberg]

I'm just glad the barrel's not threaded. Virginia's changing the laws.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Oh, yeah, I forgot. They are changing.

[Sam Reineberg]

They're changing them. All my guns are threaded besides my shotgun and my bolt action.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Well, there you go. And totally legal in Virginia.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yes, I thank God. I also got you a gift.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Oh, I love gifts.

[Sam Reineberg]

This is a boat hat from the maneuver support vessel Light, the newest class of army vessel, first to be developed in 30 years.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

No shit.

[Sam Reineberg]

Swear to God.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Dude, this is cool.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

You know what's crazy? The army has more boats than the Navy. Did you know that I.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yes.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

And the Navy has more planes than the Air Force.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yes, but the Navy's got us beat by tonnage. Well, yeah, yeah, they got some fat. Some fat boats, but. Yeah, that's. That's from the crew over there in Hawaii right now.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Is this your old. This is.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Yeah. I've read this off in your intro. Yep, this is it.

[Sam Reineberg]

That's it. That was. That was my last assignment before I went to school. Back to school, man.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

I'll wear it proudly.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, they would. The. The. The crew knows some. It was giving it to you, and they're like, no freaking way.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Perfect. Yeah. Cool. Word for the interview. See what we got here. Fits.

[Sam Reineberg]

Holy smokes.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

All right, man. You ready to dive into this?

[Sam Reineberg]

I'm ready, yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Cool.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Well, let's start with. So you were in the army, and then at some point, you decided to go officer, which is a huge mistake, but we could talk about that later.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, it's been a wild ride. It's been a while.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

I see that.

[Sam Reineberg]

But yeah, I was in the army. I enlisted out of High School. 18 year old or did like early enlistment, 17 year old, but it didn't ship off Till I was 18, graduated high school, enlisted as a watercraft operator like you said.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

And

[Sam Reineberg]

yeah, my dad was in the army. Still in the army. I have had uncle in the army. It seemed like a good idea at the time. And the watercraft operator, I mean 88 Kilo Sun Army Boats, LSV5.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

What are you guys doing on that boat?

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What's the boat for?

[Sam Reineberg]

It's A Flat bottom, 274 foot long. Flat bottom, 78, 278ft long. They do a logistical support. Okay, they'll put a Abrams, whole Abrams company on there. They'll put tons of Conexes or wheeled vehicles, you name it, they'll put it on there. And they're able to go, I mean into unimproved ports. They have a big ramp on the front, lowers down, you can drive right in, right off and on, right on. Really low shallow draft. So they can drive right up onto a beach if they have to and just offload whatever kind of assets that's on. On board.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Right on.

[Sam Reineberg]

Awesome gig. Like the best. Like it is. It is. It was really hard going. Officer over warrant officer because it's the warrant officers that are in charge over there on those boats.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What is.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

So where would the boat transit from?

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Imagine there's some of these in the straight of Hormuz or.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, to my knowledge. Or Fort Eustis, Virginia. That's one.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Is it salt? You go in the ocean?

[Sam Reineberg]

They are ocean. The LSVs are ocean going. Same as the same with the LCUs, which is like a smaller version of the LSV.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Would you cross the Atlantic with it?

[Sam Reineberg]

They do cross the Atlantic.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Oh shit.

[Sam Reineberg]

They are ocean. They cross all the time.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

So this is like a container ship in a way. Container ship that's a lot more maneuverable

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

and can offload and improve ports, as you say.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yes, yes. Um, they. Yeah, they very versatile. Very versatile. Also in Hawaii and Japan and prior to I guess a month or two ago, no, no activity in the Middle East. They had all come back to. They had all got rehomed to different ports stateside. But they were. I think they left in 2020 out of Kuwait, so. And then they came back stateside.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

So what are you going to do as an officer?

[Sam Reineberg]

Be a logistics officer. I got branched logistics.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

So you already know before you even graduate.

[Sam Reineberg]

I know, I know I know where I'm going afterwards.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Are you serious?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. I know my next duty station.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Holy shit.

[Sam Reineberg]

I know my next duty station, the exact unit, everything.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You want to say where that is or is that.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, I'm going to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. 25th Infantry.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Get the out. You're going to Hawaii. Nice.

[Sam Reineberg]

I'm really excited. Nice. That's been a saving. I found out the day after the attack, actually, the day after the attack, the day after the attack, which was the first day of spring break, I found out that I was getting Hawaii.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Holy. That was.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, it's. It's like, you can't. You. You can't. You can't make it up.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

That's pretty wild, man.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. I found out I was going to Hawaii. I found out that I was going to be in the 25th.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

How the hell do you even take. I mean, what. You kill a terrorist? You guys kill a terrorist as a team.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yep.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

And then the next day, the army's calling you and telling you.

[Sam Reineberg]

I got an email. Hey, you've got orders in your. In your army account. Look at it. Look at them. So I was like, gosh, okay, let me. Let me look at them. It's like, I can't. I was like, what is it? What could it be that's in there? It's like, hey, here's your. Here's your report date. You're going here after your school.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Wow.

[Sam Reineberg]

So, I mean, why I'm so excited. That was, like. It was hard to celebrate it, but. But as time has gone on in the last two and a half, three weeks since everything, it's more and more, like, at the forefront of my mind. Like, hey, I've got great things to look forward to. I'm like, you know, I'm still getting blessed.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Good for you, man.

[Sam Reineberg]

So very excited.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Good for you.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Spring is here. The days are getting longer. The weather is getting better. It's important you have the energy to do what you love without crashing. And I'll be honest, with everything I've got going on, if my energy is off, I feel it pretty quick. Ever feel like you just don't have the energy you used to? Brain fog. Slower recovery. Just feeling worn down. One reason is that as we age, NAD levels can decline fast. And NAD is critical for how your cells create energy. That's why I've been taking ROW nutrition's liposomal nad. And the difference is real clean, sustained energy, sharper focus, and better recovery without relying on caffeine or stimulants. NAD supports mitochondrial function the powerhouse of your cells that keep you energized and your mind sharp. Until recently, replenishing NAD meant expensive clinic visits. But Roe offers a simple at home option, just one teaspoon a day. Right now you can try it risk free with a 60 day money back guarantee and 20% off with code [e-mail] discount SRS. Again, that's SRS for 20% [e-mail] Discount SRS. When it comes to dog food, it feels like you have to make a trade off. Either it's fresh and healthy or it's easy to store and serve, but not usually both. And that's why I love Sundays. I try to feed my dog the same way I think about my own food. Using real ingredients that actually support his health, not just something built for shelf life. Sundaes was founded BY A veterinarian, Dr. Tori Waxman, who got tired of seeing premium dog food loaded with fillers and synthetic ingredients. So she built something better. Real air dried food made in a human grade kitchen. Every bite is real meat, fruits and vegetables. No kibble, no fillers, nothing you can't pronounce. And the part that makes it easy, you just scoop and serve. No freezer, no thawing, and no prep. We switched Stanley over to Sundays months ago and I've noticed the difference. He has better energy, a healthier coat, and it's been so easy to store and serve. Make the switch to Sundays. Go right now to Sundays for dogs.com SRS50 and get 50% off your first order. Or you can use code SRS50 at checkout. That's 50% off your first order at Sundays for dogs.comSRS50 Sundays for dogs.com SRS50 or use code SRS50 at checkout.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You ready to talk about the day? March 12th.

[Sam Reineberg]

Of course. Yeah. Yeah. It was a regular day. Regular day in class. Started the day off at home. I woke up early. We had like the PT on campus, on PT on campus that morning. Like a scavenger hunt, like a fun game kind of, you know, like camaraderie, PT session. And went back home, got freshened up, had a little breakfast. Barely, barely had any breakfast that day. Like that really pissed me off because I was like starving the rest of the day. You'll hear why. And put on some good clothes. Nice, nice civilian clothes that day. We had been dressing in civilian clothes for a few weeks due to like the, like the force protection.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

No shit.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Why? What was. Because of the Iran conflict.

[Sam Reineberg]

I Don't know. Probably force protection condition for that had been raised.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

They just didn't want any ROTC personnel

[Sam Reineberg]

in uniform or that was. That was like. Yeah, I think it was within the local bases as well.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Interesting. So it probably was because of the Iran conflict, maybe.

[Sam Reineberg]

I just know that I was told to wear civilian clothes. So I was. That day in class, I was meant to. My two partners and I, we had combatant command briefs that day. Each group got assigned a brief or a combatant command, a brief on in class. And we had done the first half that Tuesday. Fast forward to Thursday. We're doing mine. Classicos is normal. I had arrived an hour early to prepare.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

What class is this?

[Sam Reineberg]

This is the military science class, the senior military science class for the army rotc.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

The Colonel Shaw is teaching.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yes, he is the only teacher. He teaches the military science class for the seniors because he's the senior guy, senior officer. And yeah, I got there an hour early, went over my presentation with my group, two partners and everybody else in the class kind of starts filling in coming in. We class started around 9:20 that day. It was a little early, but not. Not out of the ordinary. And we're all in the classroom. And the way the classroom is set up, it's almost like I was telling your team this, like this room in the way. The dimensions where we're all facing this way in my. Facing this direction. And Colonel Shaw is standing. He likes to stand behind your chair right in front of your. Like your chest right there. Next, near. Kind of near your engine where that's where his desk would be. And the entrance to the class would be where that door was. And the desks are long without gaps in between. And there's a walkway on the right, right here. And for some reason that day, I chose to sit near the back of the class. I usually like to sit in the front. Sat at the back, sat with my. One of my partners would be right there for, you know, visual purposes. And we had gotten through our brief. The rest of the teams had gotten through their briefs. And we're getting into the part of the class where Colonel Shaw's given his critique. Critiques and his, you know, what he thought was good, it's bad. And he like, you know, he complimented me that day, actually. He was like, you know, Reinerberg, one of most knowledgeable guys. I did my brief on transportation command, be a logistics officer. Coming from that, as an enlisted guy, I thought, why not? But you didn't have enough knowledge to not stand in front of your. In front of your battle when she was presenting for your group. It's like being. I was standing kind of awkwardly in between the desk and the projector screen covering up this girl. She's like, probably like, I don't know, 4, 4 10, 4 foot 11. So I was like, ah, like, he always had like a good, like, quick humor with the way he did things. He had good humor with it. He's doing the critiques for the rest of the class and he's about to let us go for the day. He's like, hey, you know, I might not see you guys after spring break. I didn't know why. And yeah, so. And then, you know, it's like basically about to be done. And sky walks in the room. Now, what's weird about this is the door locks. Door usually locked from the outside. You have to be let in from the inside. And I don't remember that very specifically, but one student had gotten a little bit later to class that day, maybe 9:25. And I'm pretty sure that student had to be let in by Colonel Shaw. And then the class went through that near to the end, and this guy walks in. Didn't have to be let in. It's weird. Just a weird detail I told that. I gave that in my statement later on.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

So, yeah, I'm like, the last student

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

just left the door halfway open.

[Sam Reineberg]

Ah, no, it was closed. It was closed.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

It was closed.

[Sam Reineberg]

The door was closed. Door. The door was closed. Now maybe it was like this much then I was so. I was towards the back, I couldn't see. But yeah, so the guy, Terrorists, walks in the room and

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Muhammad Jalo, that's his name, right? Is that how you say his last name?

[Sam Reineberg]

I don't know. I'd never even. I'd never even seen the guy before.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You'd never seen him? Never had anybody in the classroom ever seen him?

[Sam Reineberg]

There were some that thought they had and some of some other cadets in the junior class had thought they had that they thought they had seen him while. During the PT hours, early in the morning, during like a ruck march around campus, being like, you go, sir. You go, ma'. Am. Sarcastic.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What was he wearing?

[Sam Reineberg]

Dark hoodie, dark pants. He had these gloves on, like wool gloves. He had a beard, a longer beard.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What did he say?

[Sam Reineberg]

Well, he walked in a room and he was like, kind of like nervous. He's like, is this ROTC or is this seminar? And we're all like, huh? Nobody said anything. He said it again like, is this ROTC or is this seminar? I don't know who it was, but somebody in the front was like, yeah, like, that was rotc. And as soon as that person said yeah, he drew his gun, yelled allahu Akbar, and started shooting my professor. And I, like, I hit the floor or not the floor, but like under, like, right. Kind of ducked under the table. Like, oh, oh. I ended up apparently, like stepping on the girl next to me. She told me that later, like maybe like a few days. Actually told me that a few days ago. And I'm back up. And the way I'm not thinking about any of this, this is the weird part.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

I mean, did you even realize he was shooting?

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

I've been shot at a lot.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

I've been shot at a point blank distance.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

And it always takes, at least for me, it usually takes a couple of seconds to realize, holy shit, this is okay. I'm getting fucking shot at.

[Sam Reineberg]

It was like a second or two, maybe tops, and. And then everybody's on the ground screaming, and I'm like on my feet running. Now I have to clear the. The row of the people that are on the ground, like trampling them. Shaw, Colonel Shaw, he had like, was able to kind of like take step forward, some steps forward and kind of grab and pull them in. Bear hug him. Is the shooter. So he, he, while being shot at, took steps forward and like bear, like bear hugged the shooter while being shot at. Yeah. And I had gotten up and was moving right and hooking the left to make it to the front of the class. And I see another cadet already on top of the shooter with a knife. And I had yelled, get him on the way there to the front. Like, literally the distance is the same in this room as the classroom. And.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

He,

[Sam Reineberg]

There was one cadet on top already with Shaw, Colonel Shaw and me and another cadet had arrived at the same time, but he was a row ahead of me, maybe two rows a row ahead. And. And it, it gets kind of, you know, it kind of slows down in my brain thinking about it. There was like four of us total that handled this guy. We're immediately trying to like, go for the gun, right? He's like trying to shoot me. He's trying to shoot a friend next to me on my left. He's just trying to keep shooting. And we had our hands on this. As soon we had our hands on the top of the slide of this Glock. And as soon as we had the. We're like, pinned. We got him pinned in the wall in the front of the class. And as soon as we had the Gun pointed away from our classmates. I had turned around, like, I'm on my knees, I'm turning around while holding the gun, like, rest. Still wrestling with the guy. I turned around and, you know, still screaming and stuff that all that shit's going on. And I turned around, I was like, so everyone get the hell out of here. Everybody run. And somebody call 911. Somebody call 911. Everyone get the hell out. And my classmates, they remember my face being like the last face they saw, apparently running out of the classroom. And it really, you know, freaked them out because they were like. I don't even remember them running, to be honest, because it's just so much going on so fast. Maybe after a minute of wrestling with the dude and taking care of this guy, the group of us, He finally let go. I mean, he had been stabbed, he'd been beat. I mean, took an eye out.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You took an eye out?

[Sam Reineberg]

I did.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

How'd you do it?

[Sam Reineberg]

My finger. And then one of the other cadet had taken the gun. And at this point after that, after the gun has been. The guy's done the guns, handled, I go. My attention is just all on Colonel Shaw. I could care less about the terrorists, to be honest. But going into the aid now with him, he had tried to stand up, like pretty, pretty quickly. He tried to stand up and his. He kind of leaned back into the wall, kind of braced his back into the wall, and then eyes rolled, lights out, fell onto the ground. I like, grabbed him by his shirt on the way down, fell kind of with them to stop him in a way. And at that point I'm going, it's like it's, it's. It's still no thinking, but it's now it's like. And now it's like, now it's like real. Like really, really real. And, You know, this training, I don't know if it's training or it probably is because I took the shirt up, his shirt up, and I took his pants down and. And I'm look and I'm searching for blood or wounds, exit wounds. Yeah. Than the blood. And he's. He's hitting the leg, upper, upper leg. Like high up in the leg for moral. Yeah, I would say so. And just based off just how much blood there was, and it was a Glock 22 caliber. Yeah. So out of all places. Right. It's like one of the. The least, like the worst place.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Yeah.

[Sam Reineberg]

And he's lights out on me, but he's open his mouth and I pulled the tongue, made sure he's breathing. And then one of my. One of my battles gave me his belt. That belt didn't work. It was. Had a weird, like, kind of cinch. Mech just wasn't working.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You're gonna use it as a tourniquet?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, we're going. We're going into treating. We're trying to stop this blood. It's a lot, and it's like, me. It's this other guy, other cadet. We're Pull another belt off of him. His belt's this leather belt, strong, going up, cinching it down. And at this point, I'm like. I'm having trouble working on him because of being into the. Pinned against the wall. And it's on his right leg, and he's. His right leg's kind of is closest to the wall. So I'm like, somebody get out in the hallway and secure the hallway, because there's more. Really wide hallway. Like, there's more room to work. Move. Move him and work on him. And. Yeah, so we picked them up. It's like, me and this other guy picked them up, put them in the hallway, and he, like, came back for, like, a minute maybe, and he's trying to fight me to get up, like, stand up. And I'm like, brandon, no, man, you can't get up. Like, ambulance is coming. Like, you're gonna be all right. We're gonna get you out of here, man. But you cannot get up. And he didn't really say anything at all.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Who is this?

[Sam Reineberg]

This is Brandon. It's Colonel. Colonel Shaw. Brandon. Okay. Brandon Shaw. And so I'm like, you know, I know his first name, and, like, trying to use his first name. So we're waiting on the cops to come there. Maybe a couple more minutes had passed. I'm not sure, but I'm like, is he coherent?

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Couldn't tell.

[Sam Reineberg]

Sort of maybe his eyes were wide open. Wide open? Yeah. Like, he. He had gone lights out, like, unconscious, and then come. Came back after we'd moved him in the hallway and really cinched that tourniquet on the first belt. And then the first two officers arrive, and it's one guy, and it's one female, one girl, and she's. She's got a. I see it on her immediately. It's just like, this tourniquet. It's, like, right on her front or her rig. She kind of just stops. Like, she's like, oh, my God. And I'm like, over top of Colonel Shaw, like, this close, like, right here. And I look up, and I see her And I'm like, give me your tourniquet. Me and my buddy who was right next to me, who's, like, still, like, looking after him, we put it on above, even higher up at this point. Like, just right, right there.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

As high as you can get it.

[Sam Reineberg]

As high as you can get it.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

That's what you're supposed to do.

[Sam Reineberg]

Cinched it down. And the. The male. Male officer came back and Chronicle went lights out again. And I was like, we need to get on the hell out of here. So me, two other cadets and the male officer, we carried them down two flights of steps out onto the. The front of the building. This is a regular building. This isn't the ROTC building. Regular business type classes held in there, right Next. Right across the street from the football stadium and parking garage. And. We sit him down and, like, redoing the tourniquet again, making it even tighter. And I'm. He comes back again, like. And now this time he's talking. Talking.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Wow.

[Sam Reineberg]

He's, like, talking. He's like. He's like. He's asking. He's like, I need my inhaler. But, like, choked up in his throat, it's like he needs his inhaler. And I'm on top of him, and I. He says that to me, and I start screaming at everybody. There's students out at this point. They have their phones out, recording. There's SWAT running past, you know, guns blazing. And I'm just screaming for this inhaler. And one cadet had ran and tried to go run, find one. And then there's, like, other cadet. Another cadet is, like, going in and out of the building, making sure that, like. Because we had another one other one that was hit up and still in the room. And then the. The police, finally, they, like, they're with me now with Colonel Shaw. And. I was like, brandon, we're gonna get you out of here, man. They're right here. The ambulance is right here. We got you, bro. We're gonna get you out. It's gonna be okay. Like. And he just was looking at me, eyes wide. He's awake. He's conscious. He's not talking, though. And. And I told the police. I was like, hey, like, he's lost a lot of blood. I'm covered in it. Like, my shoes. From my shoes up to my chest and my hands to my elbows, I'm both soaked.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Soaked in blood.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. And the police took him. And then I was like, kind of like, okay, now what do I do? Like, I gotta get safe. My phone's Gone. I don't know if it was during the fight or when I was treating him initially in the classroom, but my phone came out of my pocket somehow and had landed next to the. To the. To the shooter. Terrorist. They thought it was his phone. The FBI thought it was his phone, and they were going to seize my phone thinking it was his phone later on. But, yeah, got off. Got off the spot, and I found some cadets that were, like, dazed. You know, it's like, hey, we're gonna go into this neighborhood and try to, like, hide out for. For a little bit. And then they kind of followed me. And then I was like, you know what? Actually come back. Let's go into the parking garage where we're not in the open, which was across the street from the building where all this took place. But I just thought in my mind it was the best option to take.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You just want a breather.

[Sam Reineberg]

Not even. Just, like, get safe, you know? I was. I don't know. It was like, autopilot. On the way back to the parking garage, this. This guy comes up to me. This guy comes up to me, and, like I said, I'm covered in blood. Like, there's blood dripping off my fingers. And this guy comes up to me. He's like, hey, I need you to answer some questions. Like, what? What do you mean? He's like, I'm with odu. I'm an ODU official. I need to answer. I need you to answer some questions. I was like, let me see some id. Let me see some id. Because I'm like, who could this guy be? He's, like, wearing, like, a, you know, business outfit kind of thing. He's got some glasses on. I'm like, all right. I take his ID from him and look at it. I couldn't even see what it said because I'm like. My vision's kind of like this, just a tunnel. And I was like. Threw it back at him. I'm like, I'm not answering your fucking questions. And I went and took the guys and the gals inside to the parking garage. At this point, the police are all over it. They saw me, and they're like, you're coming with us. Like, we. You need. We need to talk to you now. Like. Like, what's going on? Tell us. And I'm like, I don't even have a phone. I need to. I need to tell my dad. And, like, I just need. I need. I need to tell somebody. Like, hey, this is what happened. And I'm okay, because, like. And then I Need to know. Like, everyone else in the actual ROTC building's okay. I give my dad a quick call off the. The detective's phone. I was like, hey, dad, like, terrorist attack in my classroom. I'm okay, but I need you to get here right now. Like, I'm covered in blood. And then we got into, like, the first statements with the officers there. We were in, like, the locker room of the. The football team in the stadium because it's, like, attached to the parking garage, and that's where that parking garage was. And, Yeah, I had this female officer. She was really good, calming me down and stuff. I'm like. I'm like. Like this. Like, I'm just, like. Everything is after me, but I'm okay. It's like a weird. I don't know how to explain it. It's just a weird state of mind that I was in, and I'm, like, telling her everything that happened. And then, like, they're like, hey, we're gonna get you on a bus, and you're gonna come with us to the station. The police station in Norfolk. Cover. Like, we get onto the bus, and. We get on. Yeah, we get on the bus, and we start driving there. And I was using one of my friends's phones. I was, like, giving my dad updates. I was like, hey, dad, like, I'm on the way to the police station on. I can't remember what. What road it was, But just meet me there. And he's just like, all right, son. I'll be there. And. We got there, and, like, I'm sitting. They put me. They sit me down in, like, one of their office chairs, like, of, like, the. The tech. The detectives that work there, the officers that work there. And I'm just sitting there in this, like. Like, this cubicle area, and I'm sitting there, and I am just like. I don't even know what is going on. I'm, like, just completely out of my mind in terms of, like, just what? I don't know how to feel. I don't know what to think. I'm just there. I'm just there. And they start trying to bring in, like, chaplains and stuff like that. And the Navy chaplain, she took one look at me and literally kept going. Just kept going.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Wow.

[Sam Reineberg]

She could see it.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Clean you up, huh? They didn't clean you up?

[Sam Reineberg]

No, not at all. Just my hand. They took pictures of my hands. I got to wash my hands. That was it.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Jeez.

[Sam Reineberg]

They kept trying to offer me, like, candy and soda. They brought in some chick fil. A. I like chick fil. A. That was. That was acceptable.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You're like, can I get the fucking blood off of me for. No.

[Sam Reineberg]

Literally, it's. And it's starting to. It's. I was there at the station for seven hours. It was starting to stink.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You were there for seven hours before you got to clean up?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, seven and a half. Seven hours. Yeah. They did one interrogation with me.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

An interrogation.

[Sam Reineberg]

They're not interrogating, but, like, you know, they brought you. Brought me into a room. Small room with single desk, two chairs on one end, me on the other.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What are they asking you?

[Sam Reineberg]

Asking me what happened?

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Was there cameras in the classroom?

[Sam Reineberg]

I don't know. I don't think so, but I think there's. There's cameras in the hallway, maybe in the stairwells, so. But yeah, they're, like, trying to offer me candy and soda, and I'm like. I'm like. I don't even care. The one officer, he was doing a good job, though, talking to me. He was just talking me through it, like, just getting my mind off of it. Like, hey, man, like, where do you like to travel? This kind of stuff. It got my mind off it for a second, and then I'm, like, right there. I'm right back to. Right back in it, mentally. I'm sitting there hours. And they're like, what can we get for you? And I'm like, you know what? Like, you guys are cops, right? And they're like, yeah. They're like. I was like, can you guys get me some Zins or something? Like some kind of nicotine or something? They're like, yo, get this guy some Zins. Like, get us some Zins. And then they're all, like. All the guys that have Zins are on the, you know, at the scene right now. The one officer went down to, like, the Wawa or something nearby and got me a whole can. That helped. It really did. And some hours. More hours go by, and they. Then they finally. My leadership finally brings us into this small room with the rest of the cadets there from my class, and they're like. They said that they had some news. And I was like, oh, no. Because I could see the faces of the rest of my leadership behind the one officer that told us what was that? Colonel Shaw had passed, like, at the hospital. And I just couldn't believe it, because the last time I had seen him, he was alive and talking. Yeah. So they broke that news. It was pretty traumatic being there, just hearing that.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Damn, man. I'm sorry.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. But you Know maybe an hour or two more passed and was able to get to the ports of naval hospital. My dad took a, had arranged for treatment for blood exposure there for the me and the rest of the guys that had a. Some blood on them. And yeah, we got there and full like blood panel and iodine shower, change of clothes. Chaps came and saw me. Good chaplain too. Good guy. I didn't get home that night.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What did he say?

[Sam Reineberg]

Chaplain?

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Yeah. I'm just curious, what does a chaplain say to somebody after an event like that?

[Sam Reineberg]

He was like, he was like, hey, like, like kind of like, you know, how are you feeling? Like really tell me or don't, you don't have to, but tell me. Like talk to me. What are you thinking right now? What's in. Going into your head? Like you know, these are, you know that what you're feeling is normal. God, God saw, saw you that day, you know, saw you today, kept you safe. What you, you know, what you did and what those guys did, what you guys did, you know, that was, that was the right thing to do. You had to do it. It's okay to feel what you're feeling. You know,

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

I've talked about this before, but if you own a firearm, you've got to think about two things at the same time. Security and access. And most options force you to pick one or the other. Either it's locked up and slow or it's access and you're taking on risk. That's why I like Stopbox. I've been using Stopbox Pro and what stood out to me right away is how simple it actually is. No keys, don't need any electronics, no apps, nothing to fail on you when it really matters. It's a fully mechanical, keyless lockbox with a five button system that's built for muscle memory. So you're not sitting there thinking about it. You can actually react. And once you run it a few times, it becomes second nature. You can get in fast, but it still keeps things secure around your kids, guests or anyone who should not have access. That's the reality. It has to be secure, but you still need to be able to get to it immediately. Stopbox does that better than anything I've used for a limited time. Our listeners get 10% off at StopBox. When you use code SRS at checkout, head to stopboxusa.com and use code SRS for 10% off your entire order. After you purchase, they're going to ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them our show sent you again. That's stopboxusa.com use code SRS for 10% off your entire order. I didn't really think about how much my mattress was affecting me until I switched it. You just get used to whatever you've got and don't realize how off it is until you fix it. And that's what happened. When I got a Helix on the first couple of nights, I could already tell the difference. I wasn't tossing around, wasn't waking up throughout the night. I was just sleeping better and actually getting some real rest. One thing I like is they don't do a one size fits all mattress. You take a quick sleep quiz and they match it to what actually fits how you sleep and it shows. It's been a big upgrade from what I was using before. They've got free shipping, 120 night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty. So there's really no risk at all in trying it. Go to helixsleep.comsrs for 20% off site wide. That's helixsleep.comsrsfor 20% off site wide. Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know who sent you. Helixsleep.com SRS

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

what were you feeling

[Sam Reineberg]

in the hospital? I was really anxious, really stressed out and just really like on high alert. There was a, like a kid or like a boy in the room next to me. They like let out a scream as I was getting looked at and I seized up in the bed right before they were literally about to do a blood draw on me. Thank God before because I would have been like really shitty. Yeah, give, you know, gives you give some resources. Personal phone number. Hey, like, you know, if you feel comfortable talking with me, if it's not, you know, if it's not tomorrow can be a week from now, a month from now, a year from now. You know, whenever you're ready, if you want to talk, call me. Oh, he's like, I'll answer. I thought that was solid because it's like what do you say? Really? What? Like what can you say? What do you say? Yeah, I didn't get home that night till like 11 o' clock at night and that was from 10:30 something when the whole thing kicked off. Did not really sleep that night or in the few some nights after. Did not sleep hardly. Didn't get to eat really. My appetite was really messed up. Like the stress or something. I don't know, like this tightness in here and. Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

When did you get to talk to your dad for the first time

[Sam Reineberg]

in person, it was at the police station.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What about in private? When's the first time you got alone

[Sam Reineberg]

time with your dad in the alone time? Just him and I. He's a really busy guy. I mean on the phone. I had gotten my phone back maybe the next day. The next day. And my mom too. My mom, she was like a wreck. I'd gotten to talk to her on the phone. It was just too much to kind of like go anywhere or like try to like, hey, like, see everybody. Like, hey, I'm okay. Like, I just couldn't. I couldn't like handle just being in the car going around like trying to see people like my mom or my dad. But yeah, I mean, like some days after that. I mean, the days that followed were really hard. Just like the stress, the not really sleeping. Bad dreams kind of.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What kind of dreams?

[Sam Reineberg]

Just like seeing. Just like hearing the classroom and seeing Colonel Shaw's eyes when he was on the ground. They were really big. At a part, like right before he had gone unconscious, his eyes got really big. And when I said, I got really, really freaked out and really started to get like that moment that. That's that set of eyes. It's like a.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

That's what we plays in your head.

[Sam Reineberg]

That. Yeah, that's that. And doing the first leather belt on as a tourniquet. Yeah. Didn't have my phone. I was getting like. I was having to communicate like through people, like through their phones. That's. That was rough. And had my. I had an iPad. I have an iPad. I was able to like kind of iMessage call FaceTime audio call through that.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

How many people were in the classroom?

[Sam Reineberg]

28.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

28 people?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

And four of you guys took him out?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. Like the four of us that were hands on with the terrorists. Yes. But then there's another three that help with aid and stuff like that.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

How long after he yelled Allah did

[Sam Reineberg]

he start shooting immediately? While he was doing it. While he was shooting.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

So there was. You didn't have time to. Nobody had time to process?

[Sam Reineberg]

No, not at all. Zero. Like no time. It was. It was instantaneous. Damn near from the confirmation that, yes, this was the ROTC classroom.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

And did he shoot at Colonel Shaw first?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, he was a colonel. Shaw is the closest guy to him.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

How far? Point blank.

[Sam Reineberg]

Six, seven feet.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

That's it.

[Sam Reineberg]

I mean, I mean for like I'm telling you, the dimensions of this room is like the same. Like the door, he shooter is like the right edge of the American flag. And Colonel Shaw is standing where your portrait is of you in the helicopter.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Wow. It's about five, five, five, six feet. How many shots did he fire?

[Sam Reineberg]

Four. Four. Like I said, Colonel Shaw was, he closed the distance like immediately damn near and was able to kind of bear hug him to the ground after he'd been shot.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Did he hit him four times?

[Sam Reineberg]

Colonel Shaw was only hit once. That's, I checked the whole, his whole body. I only saw found one gunshot to his leg.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

But a girl got shot.

[Sam Reineberg]

She did, she did get shot.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

When did she get shot?

[Sam Reineberg]

It must have been in that volley of shots.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

So he wasn't just aiming at Colonel Shaw? Well, or somebody ran in front of him.

[Sam Reineberg]

No, she was sitting in the general like line of fire. That hit Colonel Shaw. She was sitting. Would have been sitting in the general line of fire of where he was standing because she was in the front row, I think in the front row to the, my left. It wouldn't have been that much of a gap if, if you were shooting quickly to maybe have a stray, I don't know. But she was hit in the leg.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Was anybody else hit?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Who else?

[Sam Reineberg]

Another cadet guy, the one with the knife who was, I don't know if he must have been shot. He was shot and kept stabbing.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Where was he shot?

[Sam Reineberg]

In his belly.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

In the belly?

[Sam Reineberg]

In the belly? Yeah. And he kept going, kept going freaking insane.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Where did you tackle this guy?

[Sam Reineberg]

He was on the ground like Colonel Shaw was able to bear hug, kind of bring him to the ground. Colonel Shaw way more sizable guy than the shooter was. Shooter was not a big guy, Maybe like 5 8-55-9, but like not like muscular either. Pretty like, like. No,

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

No.

[Sam Reineberg]

He was on the ground when we had gotten there already and it was just kind of like a beat beat down. Just punches and elbows and people with knives and some even had a water bottle like a metal thermometer. It was just.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Who was heads up enough to put their hand on the slide so that he couldn't shoot anymore.

[Sam Reineberg]

What was that?

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Who was heads up enough to put their hand on the top of his weapon on the slide?

[Sam Reineberg]

It was me and another cadet on my left.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Did you know what you were doing? You knew the firearm wouldn't function if you did that? Yeah, it's pretty heads up, man.

[Sam Reineberg]

I mean, it's just, I feel like it's kind of like, you know, I've, like, I've done a fair amount of shooting and it's like if that's, that's the main action of the, of the gun, of the pistol. So it's like. And he was trying to. He kept trying to pull the trigger, like, at. He's trying to swing his arm around at me and the guy to my left.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What are you doing while he is trying to shoot you in the.

[Sam Reineberg]

We're. We're trying to. I'm like, pushing the gun, like, as a team, back away and forcing the muzzle away from our classmates behind us into the wall.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Is he yelling?

[Sam Reineberg]

No, no, he was. He yelled shot, you know, and like, he did not say a word while getting beaten, like, at all. He just kind of let out a couple grunts, and maybe after a minute, minute and a half, he was gone.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

How many times did you guys stab him? Do you have any idea?

[Sam Reineberg]

A lot. It was a lot. It was. And it was a lot. And it was everywhere.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

It was everywhere.

[Sam Reineberg]

Oh, yeah, it was a lot. It was everywhere.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

How big of a knife was it, do you know? Two, three incher, little bitty knife?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, two, three inch knife. Like, you know, it's a college campus. Can't carry, like, a knife or guns on campus, really. They just that, you know, a couple of them happen to have one on them. All I had on me that day was my cell phone until I didn't have it on me. I was there to just give my brief. I was just there to give my brief and go on my spring break.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

I mean, you guys eliminated that threat in four minutes with no firearm. Yeah, it was when everyone else ran.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, I mean, yeah. I mean, telling them. Telling them to run made them run. I don't know.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Here's the timeline.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

9:40, Muhammad Jalal parks his vehicle on

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

campus with a legally obtained Glock.44.22 caliber firearm. 1040, an hour later, Jalal enters constant hall, navigates to the ROTC classroom. 10:43, Jalal enters the classroom, asks, Is this the ROTC class? Upon confirmation, shouts Allah Akbar and opens fire.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

That's at 10:43.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

10:43 to 10:47, Jalala fires multiple rounds, fatally wounding Lt. Col. Brandon Shaw and injuring two ROTC candidate cadets. ROTC cadets immediately engage, overcome shooter through physical force. 10:43, first emergency call placed. Reporting active shooter. 10:47.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Police arrive on campus four minutes after the first call to determine the shooter is deceased. Yeah, that means he died well before 10:47.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Shots started at 10:43.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

10:48, run, hide, fight alert issued to campus.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Lockdown protocols initiated. 12:10, all clear. Issued campus declared safe.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

That is unfucking real that you guys, in less than four minutes were able to kill that dude. It was the team. You guys, the team.

[Sam Reineberg]

It was unbelievable how fluid and cohesive we worked on in doing this.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Was that instinct?

[Sam Reineberg]

See, I don't know. Maybe. Probably most probably mostly instinct and maybe some training. I'm not sure. Like, there was no thinking involved. I don't recall ever. I don't. I don't think there was any. Any, like, time during the course of, you know, those few minutes where I was, like, deliberating over what I should do. It was just doing. And I think the rest. I think that goes for the rest of those guys. And. Yeah, they. I mean, this. The team. It really is like

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

I.

[Sam Reineberg]

There's.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Do you know how heroic that is? Is that even registering?

[Sam Reineberg]

It's. Yet it's partially is. It comes and goes kind of like with the incident in a way, kind of still. You know, some days I'm like, okay, I thought, I've come to. Maybe I've come to terms with it. And then other days I'm like, Like, what the. I still like, what the heck is even going on? What even happened? And I think that, you know, I

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

think that you charged a terrorist that was killing people with. You charged him with no weapon, all

[Sam Reineberg]

of us or most of us, with no weapon. Yeah. Not even a knife.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

And eliminated him in less than four minutes.

[Sam Reineberg]

I. Like I said, it's.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You know, how many people would have been killed if it Wasn't for you? 4.

[Sam Reineberg]

They say, you know, it's. It would have been more.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Did he have more magazines on him

[Sam Reineberg]

if Maybe one other. I know the one cadet he did. He cleared this. Cleared the. It was fully loaded. At least the one mag was fully loaded. I don't know how much was in. How many rounds were in that mag. But, Yeah, the university president, he said this. University president Hemphill, he had called me personally after I'd gotten this, like, really weird email from some, like, associate assistant to the vice president of, like, the Student Conduct Committee.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What did that email say

[Sam Reineberg]

along the lines of, hey, Samuel, just want to let you know ODU doesn't have any intention of pressing charges against you in accordance with, like, the student code of

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

conduct pressing charges against you.

[Sam Reineberg]

This is. The.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

ODU hasn't. Doesn't have any intentions of pressing charges against you after you killed a terrorist that killed a professor.

[Sam Reineberg]

That's what the email said. I woke up one morning. What is. What the.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Does that even mean?

[Sam Reineberg]

This is. Yeah. I don't know. And he's. And it was like, you know, no intention of pressing charges in accordance with the student Code of conduct for the actions you took personally that day.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Oh, gee, thank you.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, I woke up that one morning at like 8:30 in the morning. I slept on the couch. You know, maybe it's been four or five days since the shooting. Look on my phone immediately. Screenshot. I sent it out to my dad and some of my, like, mentors from, like, when I was active duty, and they were like, what in the hell is that?

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

And I have that screenshot.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, you can.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Thank you.

[Sam Reineberg]

I'll give it to you. Yeah, I think it was like a. Like a rogue. It was a rogue email. Like a we know what you did kind of thing. I don't know.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

We know what you did.

[Sam Reineberg]

The. My phone. The other.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Saved an entire classroom.

[Sam Reineberg]

So the university president was alerted of this, that this happened, and within a couple hours called me personally and was like, I'm so sorry that ever. That ever got sent to you. Don't even like, no words, but I'm sorry. And what you and those guys did, you guys are warriors. You're heroes. And then he shared a personal anecdote with me about his time when he was at Illinois University or. Yeah, like Southern Illinois university in like 2008. There was a shooting there. Apparently. I didn't know this until he told me he was there as like a dean or something or vice president of the university. And in a classroom of 150 there, a lone gunman came in and shot or killed like 19 or 24. And nobody stood up to this guy. So he called me to tell me, thank you and God bless you and keep in touch. And I. He wants to make it right. He wanted to make it right. And his number two, her and I started corresponding. This is where I made this group chat for the guys that us guys that stayed back in the room just to talk about, hey, how's everyone doing? How's everyone feeling? I named it Warriors. That's the name of the group Chat. But they want. The university president wanted to take us out to dinner. He said, anywhere you want. Anywhere you guys want to agree on a spot. Let's go. So we chose really, really, like, expensive steakhouse. And that the Monday, it was the day after the funeral, we all went and we like, broke bread fellowship together. He wanted to get eyes on every single one of us. But yeah, so it should be good. Amazing leader. I mean, amazing. And it wasn't even like, bureaucratic or anything. It was just real good. Like, you know, it wasn't like a check the box. Like, hey, I saw these guys. It Was like. It was like person to person. And he heard our. I mean, he even heard our complaints or suggestions.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What were your suggestions?

[Sam Reineberg]

Oh, man. You know, increasing security. Colonel Shaw, he had been there a few. Couple years or three, two or three years at this point, and he had grown like the ROTC population from I don't know what amount, but to over a hundred some. And I had been corresponding with his aide and. Or maybe she's the Vice president, I'm not sure. But I said to him, I was like, you know, if, you know, what kind of security measures are we going to put in place for our ROTC populations, Clear. You know, after this, clearly, you know, targeted, what are we going to do? Because if you don't, and if you don't help people feel safe, then the growth that Colonel Shaw did for the program will be cut in half because people are not going to feel safe and want to show up and they will just disenroll. He had already was like, hey, Virginia State Police, odupd, they're going to be out in force. Every training event there before you guys show up to after, they'll be there watching. So. All right, the first football game this coming fall semester, home game, everybody. Every football player on ODU's team is going to be wearing camouflage with Colonel Shaw's name on the back. They're going to do an Apache flyover prior to the kickoff. Colonel Shaw was Apache pilot. He loved Apaches and Army aviation and, you know, renaming a building commemorating the part of the stadium where Colonel Shaw always liked to stand and hang out next to his, his 105 howitzer that we. We got to shoot off for the games. Nice memory commemorating it as like Shaw's corner, stuff like that.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Do you think this could have been prevented?

[Sam Reineberg]

I think so.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

How so?

[Sam Reineberg]

I think, you know, I think that the law maybe isn't as strict as it needs to be on individuals who have prior, prior convictions and associations with terrorist organizations.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

For sure one way it could have been preventative is if they wouldn't have released him from prison two and a half years early.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What do you think this guy's motivation was, Muhammad? What do you think his motivation was?

[Sam Reineberg]

Just hate, hate hating, hate and evil.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Let me give you a radicalization timeline. Do you mind if I do that?

[Sam Reineberg]

Sure. I. I'm not familiar, but sure.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Here's a radicalization timeline For Muhammad Jalal, 2009-2015. Serves honorably in the Army National Guard. Becomes troubled personal life, relationship, breakup, substance abuse, things like that. In 2015, he quits the National Guard after listening to online lectures from deceased Al Qaeda cleric anwar Al Qaali. July 2015 to January 2016. Travels to Sierra Leone in Nigeria. Makes contact with Islamic State members. Views extremist propaganda. Early 2016, contacted by ISIS. A virtual plotter. Online operative who encouraged attack planning. Told the FBI he wanted to conduct an attack similar to the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 people. July 3rd, 2016. Arrested after three month. After a three month FBI sting operation. Attempted to purchase an AR15 rifle and tried to donate $500 to ISIS. October 2016, pleads guilty to attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Yeah, I didn't know you couldn't donate to ISIS. The US government sends 40 to $87

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

million every fucking week to the Taliban.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Did you know that?

[Sam Reineberg]

I've, I've, I've heard about this.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

That's where that flag's from.

[Sam Reineberg]

We've read about.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Taliban was burning that flag in Afghanistan. And the man that uncovered the fact

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

that the US government is sending 40 to 87 million fucking dollars a week to the Taliban, which is going to training people like Muhammad Jalal to come here and kill our people. Our US Government's funding that. I just want everybody to know that the US Government is funding fucking terrorism. Okay, so let me go down this timeline a little bit more. Prison record and early release. Sentenced February 10, 2017, to 11 years in a federal prison, plus five years supervised release. Prosecutors recommended 20 years. He only served eight and a half years. Transferred to a halfway house. A halfway house OG a halfway house he's in prison for. Pleads guilty to attempting to provide material support to isis. So they send them to a halfway house.

[Sam Reineberg]

Honestly, I don't even know what a halfway house is.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

A halfway house is for addicts. Oh, that's what a halfway house is. Okay, so they send them to a halfway house. Released on December 23, 2024, approximately two and a half years early. Reason for early release. Completed a RDAP, a residential drug abuse program, despite having no drug convention convictions, only terrorism convictions. Federal law prohibits violent offenders from early release via rdap. This was a legal loophole. The Federal Bureau of Prisons has since closed the loophole in 2025. It's just so it was preventable. I mean, did they not let a terrorist out of prison two and a half years early on a rdap, Residential drug abuse program? Why the would you release a terrorist, a terrorist two and a half years early on a residential drug abuse program? Whoever the did that needs to go to prison. Yeah, along with every member of the US government that's sending 40 to $87 million a week to terrorists to train Muhammad Jala to come to ODU and kill your professor,

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

God rest his soul.

[Sam Reineberg]

It's rough.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

That's the reality of this.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Thank God for people like you and your comrades. Yeah, still some real Americans left in this country.

[Sam Reineberg]

We just want to. We just want to do our best.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

I know, man. And this just pisses me off. Because it is fucking preventable.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

That piece of shit not been released

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

two and a half years early on

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

a fucking drug rehab program. This wouldn't have happened if they would

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

have taken the fucking shit seriously. That this guy was actively helping isis.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Wanted to be.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Wanted to be an isis. Was an ISIS member. Went overseas to train, to look at

[Sam Reineberg]

whatever kind of material to.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

And we fund it. We fund this.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

How crazy is that?

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

You don't have to be Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill to make a powerful point. You just need to understand how to use your words. That's exactly what Hillsdale College is teaching in their new free course, Classical Logic and Rhetoric. In this course, a Hillsdale professor walks you through how to actually think clearly and make sound arguments. Not just opinions, but reasoning that holds up. You'll learn how to refine your thinking, how to structure valid arguments, and how to speak more persuasively, using rhetoric. And it's not just this course. Hillsdale offers more than 40 free online courses covering everything from the Constitution to World War II to the rise and fall of the Roman Republic. If you care about thinking clearly, communicating better, and making stronger decisions, this is well worth your time. Go right now to Hillsdale Edu SRS to enroll. There's no cost, and it's easy to get started. That's Hillsdale Edu SRS to enroll for free.

[Depop Advertiser]

Hi, I'm Sarah Adams, the host of Vigilance Elites, the watch floor where we highlight what matters. It became a permissive state. Explain to you why it matters, and then aim to leave you feeling better informed than you were before you hit play. Terrorists, hostile intelligence agencies, organized crime. Not everything is urgent. But this show will focus on what is need to know, not just what is nice to know.

[Sam Reineberg]

You know, it's hard to conceptualize that, especially. Because, you know, being a soldier, Wanting to defend the country, It's hard. It's difficult.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

The country's still worth defending, Sam.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

I believe that politicians are not.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

They are not worth defending.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, politics isn't really. It's hard to keep up for me, you know, I stay in My lane. I just want to. I just want to take care of the people around me, Take care of my soldiers.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You're a good man.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. Lawmakers.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You don't have to say anything, man.

[Sam Reineberg]

It's. It's hard to. It's hard to talk about. It's hard to talk about. Even though I'm not representing the army in an official capacity, it's hard to talk about those facts about what the government funds.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

It's not the army's fault, man.

[Sam Reineberg]

I know it's not.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

That's our politicians. You know what they want to do? They want to sit on X and bat this back and forth like it's some political campaign and not do a thing about it. And now we have terrorist attacks happening in our country that we're funding. And I've been saying this was going to happen for years along with a whole slew of other people.

[Sam Reineberg]

I was in the police station and I saw on the TV that day that the, the. It's like a church or something in Michigan had gotten attacked that day too. And then there was another one in Belgium, I think.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Yep.

[Sam Reineberg]

That same day. I think that was all the same day. Yeah. I love my country. I love the people in it. I love the army.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Good.

[Sam Reineberg]

Even though it has its ups and downs like anything, enacting change. Enacting change in. Within the organizations that I'm a part of is what I want to do.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

What are you doing for yourself right now? This can creep up on you.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. Staying active, talking to my mentors, my. My friends, my leaders. Leadership from when I was prior service.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

If any of them killed anyone before, they have.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

And are they walking you through that?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, they are. Honestly, the terrorist is not that whole part of the sequence. It doesn't really bother me at all.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Good.

[Sam Reineberg]

Like at all. It's the, it's, it's, it's, it's Colonel Shaw and, and taking care of him.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

That's a survivor skill.

[Sam Reineberg]

That's the thing. Those, that, that, that part of it is. That's the hard part for me is that part.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Do you think you could have done something differently?

[Sam Reineberg]

Who, me?

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Yeah.

[Sam Reineberg]

There was nothing to do different.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You did everything you could, man.

[Sam Reineberg]

We all did. Like the team. There was nothing else better. I don't think we could have done. We had what we had and we made use of it.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

So what is tripping you up about that? The experience itself or what do you feel guilt about?

[Sam Reineberg]

It's not so much. It was guilt in the beginning, but now it's more. It's just the sadness. Like, in the funeral, I had seen him before. They shut the casket. They did, like, a final viewing that. That. That day, and. Just, like, seeing somebody you were taking care of alive and talking to the opposite and laying in uniform in a casket, And that's. It's just. Just getting through that mentally. That's. That's the thing that's the hard part for me and the family, the. His wife and his son. He loved his son.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

How old's his son?

[Sam Reineberg]

I think he's, like, 10.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Man,

[Sam Reineberg]

he was an amazing father. I know that. Amazing father, amazing husband. Very big leadership void without him there. Really good representative of the army to the university. Yeah, that's the hard part. In the funeral. The flag. The flag pass, you know, to the spouse. And watching her carry it out, and when it was being handed to her, the. I guess the coordinating officer, who, like, I guess, you know, is in charge of the funeral, who passed, gives the flag. He, like, leaned over and his hat fell off his. His cap onto the ground. And that was a lot, seeing that.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

It's hard, man. I've been to a lot of those, especially where you see their kids running around the kid, and they just want to know what the hell is going on and when is my dad coming home?

[Sam Reineberg]

Mm.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

He's not.

[Sam Reineberg]

No. And, yeah, I saw, like, a tweet. It was, like, I don't know how many months spent overseas, but many, many months overseas to just die at home. That was. That was something that stuck with me, just seeing that. It's like a tweet or something.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Sam, you gotta stay ahead of this, man. This stuff, it can creep up on you.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

It takes a long time to cycle through all the emotions.

[Sam Reineberg]

Trying my best. This is my first time going through something like this.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Hopefully it's her last.

[Sam Reineberg]

Last time. Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Are you in therapy?

[Sam Reineberg]

No, not.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Are you gonna start?

[Sam Reineberg]

Probably not, no.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Why?

[Sam Reineberg]

Because I think, like, there's, like, other ways of. Like, they're, like, doing kind of like self therapy. Like, I like going out into the garden. I find it therapeutic to talk with my friends or, like, mentors that I really trust. Good about it. Therapeutic for sure to do that. And, you know, chaplain, eventually I think I see that. But right now, no.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Well, as long as you're not internalizing at all, that's a good thing.

[Sam Reineberg]

No, definitely not internalizing it. I'm not bottling it up. I was one. You know, I was one of those people back when I was, like, a. Like a little young teenager. I know it's not the right way, So.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Well, when we wrap this up, I'm gonna give you my contact info. If you need anything, anything.

[Sam Reineberg]

I appreciate it, Sean.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Hit me up. I've been through just about every healing avenue you can imagine, so, yeah, at least point you in a couple directions.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, I really appreciate that.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You listen to the show?

[Sam Reineberg]

I do a lot. Like, hours and hours

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

and a lot of mentors that would love to help you out, man, and your comrades, which I can't wait to meet them, I hope. I do.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, they would love to meet you.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Open invite. Anytime you guys want to come out, we'll fly you up here, we'll put you up, we'll set it up.

[Sam Reineberg]

Thank you, Sean.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

My pleasure.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. Through all this, through all of this, I got. I got called by somebody. It's like a. Somebody just trying to reach out. And they were like, hey, like, you know, you thinking about getting out now or like, you know, trying to get some disability? It's like, no,

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

good for you.

[Sam Reineberg]

No, I want to be. I want to. I want to serve even more.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Good for you, man.

[Sam Reineberg]

So

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

is there anything you want to say to your comrades, your fellow cadets that you haven't yet?

[Sam Reineberg]

Maybe if I forgot to. But I'm proud of them. I'm proud and thankful for every single one of them. If I didn't. There it is.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Is there anything you want to say to the Colonel? Colonel Sh.

[Sam Reineberg]

I miss you, man. I do. You know, even with every. Through everything, like, not seeing eye to eye. I miss you. And I hope you know I tried my best. We tried our best. The team.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Do you want to tell his son what kind of man he was?

[Sam Reineberg]

What was that?

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Do you want to tell his 10 year old son what kind of man he was?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. His dad, your dad, he loved you so much. We all knew that as a class and we never even met him. I met his son and. Everything, I think. I think everything he did was for his son. And same for his wife.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Well, man, we're wrapping up the interview, but got you one last present.

[Sam Reineberg]

What's his name?

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

You're a Catholic, you'll know what that is.

[Sam Reineberg]

It's Rosary. Thank you.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Pour out. You know who Dom Rozzo was?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah, I met him.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

You met Dom?

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. Yeah. When I was a high schooler, I worked at a. This restaurant down in Portsmouth, Virginia. Beer garden. He frequented there a lot with his family. I'm like, I'm not like, like short, kind of big beard.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

That's dumb.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. Yeah. I met him when I was. I was like, 16. He's got the knives. The knives. Oh, yeah. And stuff. Yeah. This is sweet. Is this from him?

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Well, yes.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Dom has those made those. Those rosaries, and he calls them the Warrior rosary. And so I thought when you told me you're a Catholic earlier off camera, I thought, oh, man, I've got to give him one of these things.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. Like, I'm not even kidding. Like, I've served his family as, like a. Like a teenager.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Wow. Small world.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. That's crazy.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Small world.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah. He's awesome guy. I met him. He was. It was a Sunday, I think, and he had taken his family to church, and he was getting a meal after church, and he was just talking. He was just talking to me. I was just a teen, Like a teenager. I wasn't even joining the army or anything at that point.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Right on, man. Dom's a great dude. Yeah.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

Well, I thought you might like that.

[Sam Reineberg]

I do. I really.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

I carry one with me everywhere I go.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

I think that rosary brings a lot of protection, and maybe he'll carry it, too.

[Sam Reineberg]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

And so I thought maybe we could end this with a prayer that you lead for Colonel Shaw and his family.

[Sam Reineberg]

God, thank you for bringing us here today, keeping us safe. You know, that day on March 12, it's a really bad day. And, You know, I pray that you see Colonel Shaw's family and protect them and bring them as many blessings as you can, And that you bring his son into your arms and keep him safe. Amen.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Mind if I add a little bit?

[Sam Reineberg]

Of course.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

And, Jesus, I just would like to

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

add that I just want to say thank you for Sam and his comrades, for standing up in the face of fear that day, because if they hadn't, who knows how many lives would be gone with Colonel Shaw. It's men like that that make this a great country. And I also just want to say, please be with Colonel Shaw's family. They're going to need you more than anyone right now in these times. And never forget. Amen.

[Sam Reineberg]

Amen. Yeah.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Sam.

[Sam Reineberg]

Sean, thank you, man. Thanks.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Like I said, man, anything you need, reach out.

[Sam Reineberg]

I really appreciate it.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

Proud of you, man.

[Sam Reineberg]

Really appreciate it. Sean, thank you.

[Interviewer 2 (Possibly Sean Ryan or Co-host)]

It's an honor. It's a real honor, man.

[Sam Reineberg]

Cheers.

[Interviewer 1 (Possibly Sean Ryan)]

No matter where you're watching the Sean Ryan show from, if you get anything out of this at all, anything, please, like, comment and subscribe. And most importantly, share this everywhere you possibly can. And if you're feeling extra generous, head to Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave us a review.