1 dead, 8 injured in shooting after college football game in Alabama
By Karina Tsui, Martin Goillandeau, CNN
(CNN) — At least one person was killed and eight others injured in a shooting after a college football game in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday night, officials said.
Multiple shots rang out near Legion Field around 7:50 p.m., and officers responded and located multiple gunshot victims, De’Rell Freeman, assistant public information officer with the Birmingham Police Department, told reporters Saturday.
The shooting happened after the Magic City Classic — an annual rivalry game between Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University, the state’s two largest historically Black universities.
“Multiple firearms were recovered from the scene by officers and turned into our property room,” Freeman said, adding that one person was detained and taken to police headquarters for questioning.
One of the victims is in critical condition, and seven others are in stable condition, Freeman said.
Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett told The Associated Press he was “very grateful that more people weren’t injured.”
Most spectators had already left the stadium after the game when the shooting occurred nearby, where vendors were set up along the street, Pickett said.
The violence came one week after a mass shooting near Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, when shots were fired during a fight, wounding 11 people, including six juveniles.
In a statement late Saturday, the Birmingham Police Department said all Magic City Classic tailgating had been suspended.
“Everyone needs to leave the stadium property as soon as possible. Please do not come to the Legion Field stadium property at this time,” police said, without providing more details.
Police later asked the community for assistance in gathering video of the incident and set up a portal for witnesses to anonymously submit evidence.
“Our community is hurt, shaken and rightfully angry. So am I. There is no argument, no beef, no misunderstanding that can justify this level of senseless violence during a night of celebration,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin wrote in a statement on social media.
“The Magic City Classic is rooted in HBCU tradition, and at the heart of those traditions is family. Tonight, as a family, we grieve. We wrap our arms around neighbors who are dealing with unimaginable pain right now. And just like family, we will stand united as we overcome this tragic night,” he added.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
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