11/02/2026
November 2, 2026 — BACK-TO-BACK HBCU HOMECOMING WEEKEND SHOOTINGS EXPOSE SECURITY GAP. Within a 1-week span, two of the country's most celebrated Historically Black College and University (HBCU) football traditions were marred by mass shootings. On October 24, a shooting wounded 11 people outside Bragg Memorial Stadium following the Florida A&M University (FAMU) vs. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff homecoming game. Exactly one week later, on October 31, dual shootings outside Legion Field left 1 dead and 8 wounded following the 85th annual Magic City Classic between Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University. Past sports-related gun violence has typically involved targeted active shooter attacks, intimate partner disputes inside venues, or chaos at championship parades. However, these incidents stand out because they occurred entirely outside the stadium gates or security checkpoints during post-game tailgating and community block parties. Tragically, what makes these incidents blend in is that all four universities are HBCUs. HBCUs endure a disproportionate share of gun violence incidents and targeted external threats.