BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) – One person was killed, and eight others were wounded in a mass shooting just outside Legion Field after the Magic City Classic on Saturday night, Birmingham police said.
“Multiple shots rang out in the 400 block of Graymont Avenue West shortly after 7:50 p.m.,” Officer De’Rell Freeman, assistant public information officer for the Birmingham Police Department, said at a news conference.
Police Chief Michael Pickett said one person was in critical condition and seven others were stable. Police have not identified the person who was killed.
Pickett said most spectators and families had left the stadium property after the game, but the shooting happened nearby, where vendors were set up along Graymont Avenue. He said he was “very grateful that more people weren’t injured.”
One person detained; police seek video
Freeman said one person had been detained and taken to police headquarters for processing. Officers recovered multiple firearms from the scene and turned them over to the department’s property room. Police have not announced whether the person detained has been charged or what led to the shooting.
BPD is asking anyone with video from the scene to share it with investigators. “It may seem like it’s nothing. It may seem insignificant. Please send it in,” Pickett said. The department said people who submit footage will remain anonymous. Click here to submit video to Birmingham police.
Anyone with information can contact the BPD homicide unit at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. Pickett said BPD is working with the FBI and partner agencies. Police did not take questions at the news conference.
Officials respond
Mayor Randall Woodfin said the community is “hurt, shaken and rightfully angry.” He said, “There is no argument, no beef, no misunderstanding that can justify this level of senseless violence during a night of celebration.”
“We refuse to let fear shake the spirit of this community,” Woodfin said. He said the city would continue working toward justice and that the community would “stand united as we overcome this tragic night.”
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell said, “Our community deserves to celebrate our traditions in peace and safety, without fear of gun violence.” She said her team is in contact with local law enforcement and thanked first responders.
Pickett said the shooting would not define the Classic. “The Magic City Classic is a staple event here in our community,” he said. “This will not take away from that.”
Tailgating suspended
Birmingham police suspended all Magic City Classic tailgating and told people to leave Legion Field property as soon as possible. Police also urged people not to come to the stadium.
Pickett praised officers who ran toward the gunfire to help victims. “Our Birmingham police officers are true heroes,” he said.
Past shootings near Legion Field
ABC 33/40’s archive shows shootings have also happened near Legion Field during previous Classic weekends. In 2014, one person was shot in a stadium parking lot near Graymont Avenue and Center Street after the game. The person’s injuries were not considered life-threatening.
On Oct. 25, 2024, the day before that year’s game, police responded to two separate shootings near Legion Field about an hour apart, ABC 33/40 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 injured with non-life-threatening injuries. The reports did not establish a connection between those shootings and the Classic.