A crowd of 69,384 filled the Legion Field for the Magic City Classic between Alabama A&M and Alabama State. That attendance was barely shocking, considering the game has carried a tradition of its own for more than 100 years. It earned a reputation as the largest historically Black college game in the country. And as the game ended, fans had made their way out and headed home, unaware that they may have narrowly avoided being caught in a shooting incident.

Here’s what happened: The violence erupted around 7:50 p.m. in the 400 block of Graymont Avenue, near Legion Field, when multiple shots were fired. Authorities arrived quickly and moved to assist those who were injured. As per reports, one person was killed, and eight others were wounded in the mass shooting on Saturday night. While one of the survivors is in critical condition, the rest of them are said to be stable. The victims are reportedly between 19 and 30 years old.

Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett said most fans and families had already left the stadium grounds by then. However, due to safety reasons, the Birmingham Police Department moved swiftly on Saturday night and announced the suspension of all Magic City Classic tailgating and urged anyone at the stadium to leave as quickly as possible. The violence unfolded nearby, along Graymont Avenue, where vendors had set up for the event.

Further, De’Rell Freeman, assistant public information officer with the Birmingham Police Department, told the reporters, “Multiple firearms were recovered from the scene by officers and turned into our property room.” However, it wasn’t just one shooting. There were a total of two shootings that took place, but the motivations behind them are not known.

Mayor Randall Woodfin said the same, revealing that the gunfire outside Legion Field involved two separate incidents rather than one. The first shooting left six people wounded, while a second added to the toll. The attacks unfolded just eight minutes apart.

“This afternoon, our community is still shaken,” Woodfin said. “Our community is still hurting, and we are all still trying to process the tragic events that unfolded last night.”

The Mayor even posted pictures of himself from the game on social media and wrote: “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 institution.”

As authorities continue their investigation, one person has been taken into custody: a 17-year-old being held for 48 hours, according to reports. His arrest followed the discovery of a Glock conversion switch in his possession. Authorities have also indicated that he has no affiliation with either Alabama A&M or Alabama State.

Just hours after the shootings outside the Legion Field, a separate firing incident took place at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Two students were shot at a house party around 11:30 p.m. One of them died.

Unfortunately, the violence outside the Alabama A&M-Alabama State game and at the University of Colorado was part of a much wider pattern across the country during Halloween weekend. Nightlife districts in several U.S. cities were also hit by mass shootings, leaving at least six people dead and dozens more injured, according to officials.

Dallas witnessed the worst of it all.
In Deep Ellum, near downtown, three separate shootings unfolded over roughly 75 minutes in the early hours of November 1, leaving four people dead and 15 others injured.

The first shooting in Deep Ellum took place at 12:20 a.m, and the second one happened around after 1 a.m. The third one happened 30 minutes later, Dallas police shared.

In relation to the incidents, multiple suspects have been arrested. The investigation is still going on as suspects are being questioned.

And as per data available, firings also took place in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Arkansas, California, Michigan, Colorado, Florida, and Mississippi. Most of these incidents took place near college campuses, Halloween festivities, nightlife districts, or crowded places.