NORFOLK, Va. — A Norfolk neighborhood is preparing to honor fallen service members this Memorial Day — while also paying tribute to the late Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, the Old Dominion University Army ROTC instructor killed in the March 12 shooting inside Constant Hall.
The Larchmont-Edgewater Civic League will host its Fourth Annual Memorial Day Parade, Community Fair and Wreath-Laying Ceremony Monday morning in the Larchmont neighborhood.
Organizers announced Shah will serve as the parade’s honorary grand marshal.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and will feature a 1.2-mile parade beginning at St. Patrick Catholic School and ending near Larchmont United Methodist Church.
Organizers say this year’s parade will also recognize the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary and include military tributes, patriotic music, classic cars, veterans organizations and community groups from across Hampton Roads.
The ceremony comes just over two months after Shah’s death shook the ODU campus and sparked ongoing conversations about campus safety, leadership and security.
Last weekend, Shah was honored again during ODU’s 144th commencement ceremony at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
During the ceremony, the university posthumously awarded Shah an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree. His wife, Katherine Shah, accepted the honor on his behalf as the crowd rose for a standing ovation.
Shah, a graduate of ODU’s Class of 2007, served as an Army ROTC instructor and was remembered by students and cadets as a mentor and leader.
In the weeks following the shooting, the university community gathered for several memorial events honoring Shah’s life and military service.
In March, cadets, military leaders, faculty and family members filled S.B. Ballard Stadium for a 21-gun salute ceremony that included military honors and the sounding of taps.
Later that month, hundreds gathered at Chartway Arena for a public celebration of life recognizing Shah’s impact on students and the broader university community.
The shooting inside Constant Hall also prompted an independent campus safety review by the university. ODU President Brian O. Hemphill later met with ROTC cadets following the tragedy as students and faculty raised concerns about safety inside the building.
Monday’s parade is expected to draw an even larger crowd than last year, according to organizers, because it falls on the federal holiday and takes place in a neighborhood heavily populated by military families, veterans and active-duty service members.
Participants are expected to include veterans groups, scouts, the Norfolk Fire-Rescue, Tidewater Pipes & Drums, the Hampton Roads Metro Band and local elected officials.
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