Post-Game Chaos: Teen Nabbed With Glock Switch

A 17-year-old has been charged with murder after a post-game shooting near Birmingham’s Magic City Classic left one person dead and eight injured.

Story Snapshot

  • Police charged a 17-year-old with murder and possession of a machine-gun conversion device.
  • Nine people were shot near Legion Field after the Magic City Classic; one died.
  • Officers arrested the teen in a nearby alley soon after shots were fired, police said.
  • Officials said the teen is not tied to Alabama A&M or Alabama State.

Police Charges and Arrest Details

Birmingham Police said the Jefferson County District Attorney charged a 17-year-old with murder in the killing of 19-year-old Dre’Shawn Te’Verious Thomas, and with possessing a machine-gun conversion device. Officers reported arresting the teen in an alley in the 400 block of Fourth Court West as he tried to run shortly after the gunfire near Legion Field. Police said he had no tie to either school that played in the Classic, Alabama A&M and Alabama State.

Officials reported that the shootings happened after the long-running rivalry game and large outdoor gatherings nearby. Police and city leaders described a rapid response and said their work helped limit further harm. Reports list one person killed and eight others wounded in the two shootings linked to the post-game crowds. Authorities have not released the teen’s name because of his age. The court has held him without bond following the charges that were announced publicly.

Victims and Event Context Near Legion Field

Local reports identified Thomas as the person who died. The eight wounded victims included people taken to area hospitals with injuries from the gunfire. The shootings took place near Legion Field, which hosted the Magic City Classic, a major event that draws tens of thousands and fills nearby streets with fans and vendors. Police stressed the charged teen was not affiliated with either school, pushing back on rumors about team or student ties to the violence.

Officials also said a Glock-style conversion device, often called a “switch,” was involved as part of the possession charge. These devices can turn a semiautomatic pistol into a weapon that fires automatically. Federal law treats these conversion parts as machine guns because they make a gun fire more than one round with a single trigger pull. Possession of such a device can be charged as a crime on its own under federal standards.

How This Fits a Wider Pattern of Event-Area Violence

Everytown Research has tracked shootings on or near college settings and found that homecoming weeks show higher risk, with many incidents recorded at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Their review counted hundreds of campus-related shootings nationwide over a decade, with a notable share clustering in October and during homecoming periods. The Magic City Classic is not a campus event, but it functions like one by drawing large student and alumni crowds around a fixed venue and weekend.

City leaders and police departments often face the same core test in these moments. They must secure large crowds, protect traffic choke points, and respond fast if someone fires into a group. Public safety experts stress layered security, quick medical aid, and clear crowd routes to cut harm when violence erupts. Those steps matter whether the suspect is a student, a visitor, or, as police said here, a teen with no school ties but access to a conversion device.

What We Know and What Comes Next

The formal charges and the arrest location come from police and prosecutors who put their names on the record. The known facts are specific: a teen suspect, a named victim, a nine-person casualty count, and a machine-gun conversion device listed in the charges. The case will now move through juvenile proceedings that have tighter confidentiality. That means fewer public records until a court hearing or further filings shed light on the evidence behind the murder charge.

Sources:

wbrc.com, apnews.com, rocketcitynow.com, abcnews.com, al.com, deltaplexnews.com, bearingarms.com

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