One Dead, Eight Injured in Shooting After University Match in Alabama, US

Police detain a person for questioning and seize firearms... Events associated with the game suspended

One person was killed and eight others were injured in a shooting near a college football stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday evening, following the conclusion of an annual matchup between two of the state’s most prominent historically Black universities.

CNN quoted Birmingham Police Department spokesperson assistant Darryl Freeman as saying that police received a report of a shooting near Legion Field around 7:50 p.m. local time. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found several individuals shot.

Freeman stated that one of the eight victims was in critical condition, while the conditions of the other seven were described as stable. He noted that several firearms were found at the scene and seized, and that one person was detained and taken to the police station for questioning.

The shooting occurred after the “Magic City Classic,” an annual game held between Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University, two of the largest historically Black universities in the state.

In the wake of the incident, Birmingham police suspended all gatherings and events related to the game, urging attendees to leave the stadium area immediately and warning against traveling to the area until further notice.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin expressed shock and anger over the incident, emphasizing that no dispute or conflict could justify such violence during an event that is supposed to be celebratory.

In a statement posted on social media, Woodfin said the city community was in a state of grief and anger, stressing the importance of standing in solidarity with the victims’ and affected families’ families and uniting to overcome this tragic night.

The incident comes a week after a shooting near Florida A&M University in Tallahashe, which left 11 people injured, including six minors, during a fight.