Magic City Classic Shooting: 1 Dead, 8 Wounded Outside Birmingham’s Legion Field

The Magic City Classic shooting left one person dead and eight others wounded near Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday night, according to police. It cast a shadow over one of the biggest events on the city’s calendar.

Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett said the gunfire came after the game had finished and most spectators and families had already left the stadium property. It happened close by, in an area along Graymont Avenue where vendors had set up. Pickett said he was “very grateful that more people weren’t injured.”

What police have said about the Magic City Classic shooting

Police have given few details. Reports on the incident say the circumstances of the shooting remain unclear. Police spokesperson De’Rell Freeman said one person was detained and taken to police headquarters for questioning. He also said “multiple weapons” had been found and secured. Police have not said whether anyone has been arrested or charged, and the sources do not say what role, if any, the detained person played. The identity of the person killed and the condition of the wounded have not been released in the reports reviewed.

A huge crowd and a stretched police force

Nearly 70,000 fans attended the game, in which Alabama A&M beat Alabama State 31-28. The two historically Black universities are archrivals, and their annual meeting has been played for more than 100 years. According to The Independent, the event draws some of the largest crowds in the country for games in its college football division. Alabama State coach Eddie Robinson Jr., a former NFL linebacker and alumnus of the school, has even proposed creating a Hall of Fame for the game.

Pickett acknowledged the strain the weekend puts on the city. “Everyone knows this is the largest event we have here in the city and it’s extremely taxing on our personnel,” he said. He added that other law enforcement leaders recognised this and “quickly offered up support,” for which he said the department was grateful.

Part of a violent Halloween weekend

The Independent reported that the Birmingham shooting was one of several violent incidents across the US over the Halloween weekend. In Newark, Delaware, six people were shot shortly after 11:10 p.m. on Saturday near the University of Delaware campus, police Lt. Greg D’Elia said. All six were taken to hospital, and part of Main Street was closed for several hours. Dallas police planned a news conference on Sunday about what they described as “multiple” reports of overnight shootings in the city’s Deep Ellum neighborhood.

The investigation into the Magic City Classic shooting is at an early stage. Many basic questions remain unanswered, including what led to the gunfire and how the victims were chosen or caught up in it. Police are expected to give further updates as their inquiries continue.

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