One dead and eight wounded in shooting outside Alabama college football game in Birmingham

What happened

At least one person was killed and eight others were wounded in a shooting near Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday, 31 October 2026. Europa Press reported that the shots rang out shortly after 19:50 local time. Police said most spectators and families had already left the stadium property when the gunfire broke out, which happened nearby, where vendors had set up along Graymont Avenue. The circumstances of the shooting remain unclear, and the investigation is still open.

Casualties and the detention

Police spokesperson De'Rell Freeman said nine people had been struck by gunfire. One was dead, one was in critical condition and seven were wounded but stable. Officers collected several firearms from the scene, which were taken to the evidence room. Freeman said one person had been detained and taken to police headquarters in Birmingham for questioning, and that authorities were still gathering information.

Killed1

Critical1

Wounded, stable7

Killed

1 people

Critical

1 people

Wounded, stable

7 people

Data from the article text

The Magic City Classic

The game is an annual meeting between Alabama State and Alabama A&M, two historically Black universities that have been rivals for more than 100 years. Nearly 70,000 fans attended the Saturday game, which Alabama A&M won 31-28. The contest draws huge crowds to Birmingham every year, and the surrounding celebrations start well before kickoff. The shooting took place after the final whistle, outside the stadium grounds.

Police response and early reports

Birmingham police chief Michael Pickett said the event places heavy demands on local officers, and that other law enforcement leaders quickly offered support. He said he was 'very grateful that more people weren't injured.' Pickett also described the scale of the event.

“Everyone knows this is the largest event we have here in the city and it's extremely taxing on our personnel.”

Early reports from in.gr, drawing on police radio traffic, put the number of people shot at four or five. Those reports said at least two victims were seriously injured and one was lightly hurt, and that the shooting came more than an hour after the game ended while crowds were still celebrating near Legion Field. Police had not yet issued official statements on the victims' condition at that stage, and the later police count of nine people shot replaced those early figures.