The Tuscaloosa Police Department shut down the Strip on Saturday evening after Alabama football’s A-Day spring practice.
Around 9 p.m., Tuscaloosa police closed the area after a group of people believed they heard gunfire and began running. Officers already stationed nearby responded immediately and swept through the three-block stretch within minutes, but they found no evidence of a shooting.
“There were no injuries, no shell casings and no confirmed gunfire,” said Stephanie Taylor, a TPD spokesperson in a press release, adding that the University’s ShotSpotter system, an acoustic gunshot detection technology, did not detect any shots during that time.
Police Chief Brent Blankley ordered the closure out of what Taylor called “an abundance of caution.” The affected stretch of University Boulevard was cleared. Anyone not inside a business or actively leaving was told to exit the area.
Crowds had packed the Strip earlier in the day for A-Day, along with home matchups for Alabama baseball and softball.
Saturday’s shutdown marks the second time in three years that TPD has closed the Strip on A-Day weekend following reports of gunfire, with a similar incident occurring in 2023.
“There have been no other major issues reported today, and the atmosphere has otherwise remained safe and orderly,” Taylor said.
