One teenager was killed and eight others were injured in two shootings near Legion Field following Saturday’s Magic City Classic in Birmingham.
The first shooting happened around 8 p.m. in the tailgate area outside Legion Field, leaving six people injured. Less than eight minutes later, another shooting was reported across from the stadium along Graymont Avenue, where three more people were injured.
Birmingham police have not said whether the shootings were connected.
A 17-year-old is currently in custody after being found with a firearm equipped with a Glock conversion switch. Police have not announced any charges.
Thomas, a 2026 graduate of Parker High School, was killed in the second shooting. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:24 p.m. One additional victim remains in critical condition.
The violence unfolded just hours after Alabama A&M defeated Alabama State 31-28 in the annual Magic City Classic.
The game, held at Birmingham’s Legion Field for more than a century, is one of the nation’s premier HBCU football rivalries and draws thousands of fans to the city each year.
While most spectators had reportedly left the stadium grounds by the time the shootings occurred, the violence erupted in the surrounding area, including near vendors set up along Graymont Avenue.
Mayor Randall Woodfin condemned the shootings in a statement, calling the violence “senseless.”
Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett praised officers who ran toward the gunfire to assist victims.
“Our Birmingham police officers are true heroes,” Pickett said. “Seeing the courage and resilience they displayed tonight, running alongside them in the direction of those gunshots, triaging people as we pass by them going in the direction of the shots to make sure they weren’t injured … that shows true courage, that shows the true dedication they have to actually saving lives.”
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Vestavia Hills Police Department, FBI Birmingham, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and U.S. Attorney’s Office assisted Birmingham police in the response.
Evy Gallagher is the managing editor for Yellowhammer News. You can contact her at [email protected].
