Gunfire after Magic City Classic kills one, wounds eight in Birmingham

One person was killed and eight others were wounded in a shooting outside Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday night, more than an hour after the 85th Magic City Classic ended and while crowds were still tailgating around the stadium.

Birmingham police were called shortly after 7:50 p.m. to the 400 block of Graymont Avenue West, near Fourth Street West, where officers found nine people with gunshot wounds. One was pronounced dead. Of the eight survivors, one was in critical condition early Sunday and seven were stable, the department said.

One person was detained and taken to Birmingham Police Headquarters for questioning, and officers recovered multiple firearms at the scene and turned them over to the department's property room. Police have not identified a suspect, and no arrest has been announced. The department did not say how many weapons were recovered.

What police described Saturday night

Officer De'Rell Freeman, an assistant public information officer with the Birmingham Police Department, told a news conference that multiple shots rang out shortly after 7:50 p.m. and that responding officers found multiple gunshot victims. Nine people had been hit, including at least one confirmed deceased, he said. Police did not take questions.

Police Chief Michael Pickett said most spectators and families had already left the stadium property by the time of the shooting, which happened nearby, where vendors were set up along Graymont Avenue. He said the gunfire came after the game and, for the most part, off the property. He added that he was grateful more people were not hurt.

One person has been detained and transported to the Birmingham Police Headquarters for questioning. This is an active scene with developing information.

Officers secured the scene so that Birmingham Fire and Rescue could treat the victims, and no officers or first responders were injured, police said.

The department asked the public for help, saying anyone who submits video or photographs from the scene will remain anonymous and pointing witnesses to an online portal for uploading material. Pickett urged people to send in footage even if it seems insignificant. Anyone with information was asked to contact the department's homicide unit at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.

Birmingham police received assistance from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, the Vestavia Hills Police Department, FBI Birmingham, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Attorney's Office, according to WBRC. Pickett said the department was working with the FBI and partner agencies.

The Classic and its crowds

The Magic City Classic is the annual rivalry game between Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University, the state's largest historically Black universities, and Saturday's game was the 85th Classic. Legion Field hosted the game earlier in the day. The weekend features a parade and large pregame tailgates in addition to the football game, and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office expected more than 200,000 people to turn out.

Shortly before 9 p.m., police suspended all Magic City Classic tailgating and ordered people off the stadium grounds. "Everyone needs to leave the stadium property as soon as possible. Please do not come to the Legion Field stadium property at this time," the department said in a statement.

Alabama A&M beat Alabama State 31-28, and the gunfire came more than an hour after the final whistle, with crowds still tailgating around the stadium, according to the Birmingham Free Press. The win ended a losing streak for Alabama A&M in the series, ABC 33/40 reported.

There is no argument, no beef, no misunderstanding that can justify this level of senseless violence during a night of celebration.

Woodfin posted his statement on social media on Saturday night, saying the community was hurt, shaken and rightfully angry, and that he was as well. He said the city refused to let fear shake its spirit, and that justice would be served to those who brought harm to people at one of Birmingham's most treasured events.

The mayor said the Classic is rooted in the traditions of historically Black colleges and universities, including traditions of family, and that the city was grieving as one. He said Birmingham would stand united and that the city would not let up until it achieved swift justice in the active investigation.

Statements from Sewell and Pickett

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell said her team was in contact with local law enforcement, and she thanked the first responders who went to the scene.

Our community deserves to celebrate our traditions in peace and safety, without fear of gun violence.

Pickett called the shooting a senseless act of violence and praised the officers who ran toward the gunfire, saying they were true heroes. He said the department's officers reached the wounded as the scene was still unfolding.

Earlier violence near the stadium

Shootings have happened near Legion Field during previous Classic weekends, according to ABC 33/40. In 2014, one person was shot in a stadium parking lot near Graymont Avenue and Center Street after the game, and the injuries were not considered life-threatening.

On Oct. 25, 2024, the day before that year's game, Birmingham police responded to two separate shootings near Legion Field about an hour apart, the station reported. The first was in the 200 block of Eighth Avenue West. The second was at a residence in the 800 block of Seventh Street West, where one person was hurt with non-life-threatening injuries.

Those reports did not establish a connection between the earlier shootings and the Classic. Police have not said whether Saturday's gunfire was linked to anything else during this year's Classic weekend.

Pickett said the shooting would not define the event. He described the Magic City Classic as a staple event in the community and said the violence would not take away from that. He also thanked those who assisted at the scene on Saturday night.

Neither the person who was killed nor the person detained had been publicly identified as of Sunday morning. Police have not said whether the victims knew one another or whether they had attended the game.

Where the investigation stands

Police have not announced whether the person detained has been charged, and they have not said what led to the shooting. The circumstances of the gunfire remained under investigation on Sunday morning. The department has also not said whether anyone else is being sought.

Police have not said when they expect to identify the person who was killed, or whether the person detained remains in custody. The department has described the investigation as active, with information still developing.