‘We Can’t Normalize This Violence’: City Officials Provide Updates on Magic City Classic Weekend Shootings

By Javacia Harris Bowser | The Birmingham Times

Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin and several city officials addressed the Saturday night shootings near Legion Field during a press conference late Sunday afternoon at the Birmingham Police Department headquarters. The shootings, which happened after the 85^th annual Magic City Classic game, left one person dead and eight others injured.

“Our community is still shaken. Our community is still hurting, and we’re all still trying to process the tragic events that unfolded last night,” Woodfin said. “One person lost their life, another is fighting for their life as we speak, and seven others were injured. Our hearts are with every victim and the families whose lives have been forever changed.”

Woodfin confirmed two separate shootings took place Saturday night. The first shooting happened outside of the Legion Field tailgate area, and six people were injured. Less than 8 minutes later, a second shooting occurred across from Legion Field on Graymont Avenue near food vendors involving three victims.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Chief Cory Moon said his team was dispatched to the area of Graymont Avenue and Third Street West near Legion Field at approximately 7:55 p.m. on Saturday.

“Our personnel arrived on the scene and immediately started triaging patients and providing life-saving care,” he said. One patient was pronounced dead at the scene.

Chief Moon said the victims ranged in age from 19 to 30.

Woodfin commended both BPD and Birmingham Fire and Rescue for their “swift action,” which he said helped save lives.

At the time of Sunday’s press conference, a 17-year-old was in police custody on a 48-hour hold in connection with the shooting. The 17-year-old, who had a gun with a Glock switch (which converts a standard semi-automatic Glock handgun into a fully automatic machine pistol), is not affiliated with Alabama A&M or Alabama State University, the two schools that faced off in Saturday’s game. The investigation into Saturday’s shootings is ongoing.

“I think you all know BPD’s resolve. You know our clearance rate. You know this investigative bureau of the Birmingham Police Department,” Woodfin said.

The Birmingham Police Department (BPD) has reported a 91% homicide clearance rate for the first three quarters of 2026.

“Part of that is because of you, and so to help with that, we are asking anyone who was at the scene, anyone who has information about this incident, or has video footage, to please contact BPD and/or Crime Stoppers,” Woodfin said. “You can provide your information anonymously, and we really encourage you to share that information because every detail matters. Every piece of information could help bring answers and accountability to those affected.”

85 Years of Legacy

Woodfin urged the city not to let the Saturday night shootings define Birmingham or the Magic City Classic, arguably the largest HBCU classic in the country and Birmingham’s biggest annual event.

“We will not allow a tragic act of violence to define who we are as a community. We will not allow it to diminish the traditions, the institutions, and the culture that make our city special,” said Woodfin, who was joined by Chief Moon, Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett, Deputy Chief of Public Safety Carlton Peeples, Director of Community Safety Initiatives Uche Bean, Birmingham City Council President Wardine Alexander and Council President Pro Tempore LaTonya A. Tate.

“I am standing before you as an HBCU graduate, and I know many of the people you see standing here are also HBCU graduates,” Woodfin said. “We are living testaments to the strength, leadership, excellence, and pride that these institutions produce. That is what the Magic City Classic represents … We will not allow one act of violence to overshadow 85 years of legacy.”

Woodfin also stressed that the Saturday night shootings occurred after official Magic City Classic events.

“The Classic has an 85-year tradition of being family-friendly and safe,” Woodfin said. “We can acknowledge this tragedy without characterizing the Classic. We can demand accountability without assigning blame where it does not belong, and we can have an honest conversation about public safety while continuing to embrace and celebrate the traditions that have helped shape our city and our institutions.”

‘We can’t normalize this violence’

Echoing Woodfin’s comments, Peeples noted the progress the city’s public safety initiatives have made in recent years but acknowledged more work remains.

“Despite strict policies at venues and event spaces, despite an overwhelming police presence, both in uniform and undercover, despite the fact that more than 95 percent of homicides in Birmingham end up in the arrest of subjects, it’s hard to stop evil when individuals are hell bent on committing evil,” Peeples said.

Peeples shared that since 2024, the city’s homicide rate has decreased by nearly 74%, the number of non-fatal shootings is down by 18%, and the number of shootings into occupied and unoccupied buildings and vehicles is down 50% and 58%, respectively.

“So the programs that the Mayor and the City Council have approved and invested in are working,” Peeples said. “What needs to be clear is that we can’t arrest our way out of this problem. It’s going to take a whole community approach. To do so, that includes the nine districts, the 99 neighborhoods, and the 23 communities working all together to address this problem. We can’t normalize this violence.”

Woodfin underscored other recent violent incidents that have happened across the country, including shootings in Dallas, Texas, on Halloween night, a shooting following Florida A&M University’s homecoming that wounded 11 people, and a school shooting in Oregon that claimed the lives of three children and a teacher.

“When we talk about culture and gun violence, let’s be very clear: America has a gun violence problem,” Woodfin said.

Woodfin pledged to continue to support historically Black institutions and traditions while also standing with families affected by Saturday’s shootings. Woodfin and city officials urged those struggling with post-traumatic stress or grief to contact the following mental health support services:

• Black Women’s Mental Health Institute, www.bwmhi.org, 205-440-2837

• Storeyhouse Counseling & Consulting, www.shccal.com, 205-259-8650

• TC Counseling, www.tccounselingservices.com, 205-224-4387

• Brothers Let’s Talk, brothersletstalk.com, 205-266-235

• Strive Counseling/Nurture, www.nurturebham.com, www.strivebhm.com, 205-721-9893

• A Work in Progress, www.workinprogresscounseling.com