Birmingham mayor condemns Legion Field shooting that killed one, injured eight
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The gist
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin condemned a shooting after the Magic City Classic that killed one and injured eight.
The city's signature HBCU football weekend is now tied to a homicide case.
Background
Randall Woodfin is the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, first elected in 2017 and now in his third term. The shootings came at the end of Magic City Classic week — the annual Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State football game at Legion Field, the 85th edition of an event rooted in HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) tradition. Reducing violent crime has been a top priority for city leadership since Birmingham recorded a record 152 homicides in 2024, with officials setting up a violence reduction commission, funding community intervention programs and approving a police recruitment and retention package.
How it unfolded
- Oct 30, 2026Clips of Woodfin dancing to Nelly and Paul Wall's "Grillz" at the Green Carpet Affair at the Birmingham Museum of Art during Magic City Classic week spread widely online.
- Oct 31, 2026Police were called to the 400 block of Graymont Avenue West around 7:50 p.m. after the Magic City Classic game at Legion Field; nine people were shot and one was killed. Woodfin that night condemned the shooting as "senseless violence."
- Nov 1, 2026At a news conference, Woodfin said police and first responders were called to two shooting scenes minutes apart near Legion Field and that a person was in custody. Fire Chief Cory Moon said seven people were taken to hospital, victims aged 19-30, with two critical and five stable; Chief of Public Safety Carlton Peoples said more than 50 people were treated.
- Nov 3, 2026Police arrested a 17-year-old in connection with the shootings outside Legion Field's perimeter, in which a 19-year-old was killed and eight others injured. At a City Council meeting Woodfin told young people that if they cannot accept the city's free resources to stay off a path of violence, they can sit in a jail cell.
Key terms
- HBCU
- US colleges founded before 1964 with the purpose of educating African American students.
- Magic City Classic
- An annual American football game between Alabama A&M and Alabama State universities, held at Legion Field in Birmingham.
- City Council
- The legislative body of a city or municipality, responsible for local laws and governance.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Woodfin said there is "no argument, no beef, no misunderstanding" that can justify the violence and that the city will not let up until it achieves swift justice.
- Police
- Police Chief Michael Pickett called it a "senseless act of violence," thanked officers who moved toward the gunfire, and said the Classic, the city's largest event, placed considerable demands on police resources.
- Party
- City councilor Crystal Smitherman said she hears people blaming the Classic, and rejected that: "this is about HBCUs," which she called a family reunion and a tradition.