Chaos erupted at the BJCC in Birmingham during Saturday’s High School Basketball Championship.
There were no shooters, according to Birmingham police, and authorities said there was no evidence of a shooting inside or outside the city center convention center.
The excitement came after the Class 6A boys title match between Cullman and Huffman. Cullman defeated Huffman 58-50.
The awards ceremony had already taken place, and Kallman’s coach and four players were in attendance at the post-match press conference when pandemonium broke out.
Birmingham Police Sergeant. Rod Mauldin said the test began shortly before 5 p.m., when officers had to break up multiple fights that started at the BJCC and moved to the street.
The excitement led to panic, which quickly led to reports of gunfire. Witnesses reported that people were lying on the floor in front of the secretary’s desks, while officers were lifting children over the railing to exit the stands.
Much of the arena has been cleared, but officials said the AHSAA has not officially evacuated the floor or building. However, BJCC security helped the fans move to a safer location, and some fans, including several students, took refuge in the basement.
Mauldin said the officers were able to resolve the situation.
As of 5:15 p.m., play was due to resume with the Vestavia Hills taking on Hoover for the girls’ 7A title. The Bucks won the game 73–64.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Hoover coach Crystal Johnson, whose team was warming up before the game. “We got a call, but it was a scary moment. We were just ready to play. Nothing could stop us from being ready. I didn’t know what was going on, who was safe, who was not. I separated from them, but we stayed focused and ready to play the game.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Journalist Dennis Victory contributed to this report.