Passion involving football games can neither be measured nor quantified. Fans break into huge celebrations when their team wins. However, when the team loses, the situation could get ugly sometimes even resulting in brutal consequences like homicides.
The outcome of 2013 Iron Bowl game between in-state rivals, University of Alabama (UA) and Auburn University held Saturday could be the reason for Adrian Laroze Briskey killing a fellow Crimson Tide fan at a party in Hoover. Auburn won 34-28 over the defending national champions.
The 28-year-old suspect has been charged with murder of 36-year-old Michelle Shepherd at the party, where both the Birmingham women were watching the game. The murder occurred outside the apartment complex in Birmingham, moments after the school's top-ranked football team lost in a dramatic game to Auburn. Both the women were supporting Alabama.
Jim Coker, Hoover Police Captain, said that an argument began in the apartment which then shifted into the parking lot. Briskey fired a gun, hitting and killing the mother of three, Reuters reports.
Coker said that emotions surrounding one of the biggest rivalries in college football might have led to the shooting of the caseworker.
"The fact is that it was an Iron Bowl party when this happened, so we have to look at that," Coker said.
Neketa Shepherd, the victim's sister and who witnessed the killing, said that Michelle was shot to death over the result of the rival game and there was no doubt about it.
She also said that Briskey had a couple of shots of liquor during the game and 'went crazy' when people started joking around after Alabama lost.
Briskey became furious when she heard the sisters and others commenting that "the Crimson Tide's loss wasn't as bad as if the NBA's Miami Heat had lost," American Live Wire reports.
"She said we weren't real Alabama fans because it didn't bother us that they lost. And then she started shooting,'' Neketa said. "It was over a football game. I'm never going to forget it because she died in my arms,'' Herald Sun reports.
Briskey has been released from jail after posting $75,000 bail on Monday. She is scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on Jan. 8.
