Four Hurt in Birmingham Shooting Near Legion Field; Tailgating Halted
WHO:
WBMA - Birmingham Police Officer De’Rell Freeman, assistant public information officer, described the shooting at a news conference.
WBMA - Police Chief Michael Pickett said one person was in critical condition and seven others were stable; police had not identified the person killed.
WBMA - Mayor Randall Woodfin said the community was “hurt, shaken and rightfully angry.”
WBMA - U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell said her team was in contact with local law enforcement and thanked first responders.
WBMA - One person was detained and taken to police headquarters for processing; police had not announced whether the person was charged.
WBMA - Birmingham police said they were working with the FBI and partner agencies.
WVTM - Birmingham police asked anyone who recorded the shooting to submit video; the department said submitters would remain anonymous.
NY Post - One person was killed and multiple others were wounded in the shooting.
WHAT:
CNN - The Magic City Classic is an annual rivalry game between Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University, described as the state’s two largest historically Black universities.
CNN - The Birmingham Police Department said the shooting happened one week after a mass shooting near Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, where 11 people, including six juveniles, were wounded during a fight.
WBMA - One person was killed and eight others were wounded in a mass shooting after the Magic City Classic.
WBMA - Police recovered multiple firearms from the scene and placed them in the department’s property room.
WBMA - Police suspended Magic City Classic tailgating, directed people to leave Legion Field property as soon as possible, and urged others not to come to the stadium.
WBMA - Woodfin said, “There is no argument, no beef, no misunderstanding that can justify this level of senseless violence during a night of celebration.” He also said, “We refuse to let fear shake the spirit of this community.”
WBMA - Pickett said he was “very grateful that more people weren’t injured” and that the shooting “will not take away” from the Magic City Classic, which he called “a staple event here in our community.”
WBMA - Pickett praised officers who ran toward gunfire to help victims, saying, “Our Birmingham police officers are true heroes.”
WVTM - Tailgating was suspended; police told people at the stadium to leave and not return.
NY Post - The shooting occurred at the end of the Magic City Classic, an HBCU rivalry football game.
WHERE:
WBMA - The shooting occurred in the 400 block of Graymont Avenue West, just outside Legion Field, near vendors set up along the avenue.
WVTM - The shooting occurred on Graymont Avenue West outside Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
WBMA - Police asked people with information to contact the BPD homicide unit at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
WHEN:
WBMA - Freeman said multiple shots rang out shortly after 7:50 p.m.
WVTM - The shooting happened shortly after the Classic ended and just before 8 p.m.; WVTM said victim conditions and the number of victims had not been confirmed as of 8:45 p.m.
WHY:
WBMA - Police had not announced what led to the shooting. Woodfin said no argument, “beef,” or misunderstanding could justify the violence.
HOW:
CNN - De’Rell Freeman said officers responded to the scene and found multiple gunshot victims.
WBMA - Police asked people to submit scene video and said footage could be shared anonymously. Pickett urged the public to submit even apparently insignificant footage.
WBMA - Pickett said most spectators and families had left stadium property before the shooting; officers ran toward the gunfire to assist victims.
WBMA - The department’s archive showed a person was shot in a Legion Field parking lot near Graymont Avenue and Center Street after the game in 2014; the injuries were not life-threatening.
WBMA - Police responded to two separate shootings near Legion Field on Oct. 25, 2024, about an hour apart: one in the 200 block of Eighth Avenue West and another at a residence in the 800 block of Seventh Street West. One person was injured with non-life-threatening injuries in the second shooting; reports did not establish a connection to the Classic.
(UPDATED November 1, 2026 12:56 UTC)
One person was killed and eight wounded in a shooting after Birmingham’s Magic City Classic. Police detained one person, recovered firearms, and suspended tailgating outside Legion Field. One victim remained critical, while seven others were stable; police sought video and investigated with the FBI.
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(UPDATED November 1, 2026 07:56 UTC)
One person was killed and eight wounded in a shooting outside Birmingham’s Legion Field after the Magic City Classic. One victim remains critical, seven are stable, and police detained one person as they investigate. Police suspended tailgating, urged people to leave, and asked witnesses to submit footage anonymously.