Birmingham Mayor Woodfin addresses shootings after Magic City Classic
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The gist
Two shootings near Legion Field after the Magic City Classic killed one and wounded eight, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said.
The violence followed an 85-year HBCU football tradition the city calls family-friendly and safe.
Background
Randall Woodfin is the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, an attorney and Morehouse College graduate who became the city's youngest mayor in over a century at age 36 in 2017 and won a third term in 2025. The shootings came after the 85th annual Magic City Classic, the football game between Alabama A&M and Alabama State University. Woodfin and city leaders held a news conference the day after the violence, and police and the mayor spoke again the following day.
How it unfolded
- Oct 31, 2026Two shootings occurred minutes apart near Legion Field on Graymont Avenue after the Magic City Classic; the first injured six people outside the stadium perimeter and tailgate area, and the second, less than eight minutes later across the street, had three victims.
- Nov 1, 2026Woodfin and city leaders held a Sunday afternoon news conference; Woodfin said a 17-year-old with a gun equipped with a Glock conversion switch was in custody on a 48-hour hold and was not the only suspect.
- Nov 2, 2026Birmingham Police and Woodfin spoke on the shooting after the Magic City Classic.
Key terms
- HBCU
- US colleges founded before 1964 with the purpose of educating African American students.
- Glock conversion switch
- An illegal aftermarket device that makes a semi-automatic Glock handgun fire fully automatically.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Woodfin said the community is "hurt, shaken and rightfully angry" and that "no argument, no beef, no misunderstanding" can justify the violence.
- Official
- Woodfin said the incident "did not happen because of the Classic" but after it and outside its events, citing the event's 85-year family-friendly tradition.
- Caution
- Police Chief Michael Pickett said one person was in critical condition and seven others stable, and asked the public to send in video from the scene even if it seems insignificant.
Still unverified
Police have not announced whether the person detained has been charged or what led to the shooting.