One person was killed and eight others were wounded in a mass shooting outside Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday night, after the Magic City Classic, the annual football rivalry between Alabama A&M and Alabama State, two historically Black universities.
The Classic is one of the biggest rivalries among historically Black colleges and universities, a weekend built around alumni, bands and vendors on the streets outside. Police say the gunfire came after most of that crowd had left the stadium.
The shooting happened in the 400 block of Graymont Avenue West, shortly after 7:50 p.m., Birmingham police said. Chief Michael Pickett said spectators and families had mostly left the stadium grounds, and that the shooting happened nearby, where vendors had set up along the street. He said one victim was in critical condition and seven others were stable. The person killed has not been publicly identified.
Police detained one person and took them to headquarters for questioning. No charges had been announced as of Sunday afternoon. Officers found and secured multiple firearms at the scene. No officers or first responders were hurt. Birmingham police said they were working with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Vestavia Hills police, the FBI’s Birmingham office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Pickett called it a “senseless act of violence” and praised the officers who ran toward the gunfire. Mayor Randall Woodfin said: “There is no argument, no beef, no misunderstanding that can justify this level of senseless violence during a night of celebration.”
Police have not said what started the shooting or whether any of the victims were targeted. Investigators are asking anyone with video from the scene to send it in, and the homicide unit can be reached at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
This is not the first time gunfire has followed the game. Local station ABC 33/40 reports that shootings have occurred near Legion Field during Classic weekends in 2014 and 2024, and a 20-year-old, Demarcus Bennett of Fairfield, was killed after the 2016 game.
Agreements signed in recent years keep the Classic at Legion Field through 2026.
Birmingham police said detectives continue to work the case and that more information would be released as the investigation allows.
Have your say