Athletic director dies after being shot in the head at Oakland, Calif., community college
Key Highlights
- John Beam was athletic director at Laney College and was a longtime football coach in the Bay Area.
- Beam, 66, gained national recognition through Netflix's 'Last Chance U,' which highlighted his coaching at Laney College.
- The shooting occurred inside Laney College's Field House; a 27-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the attack.
John Beam, the Laney College athletic director and former football coach who was featured in Netflix's "Last Chance U," has died after being shot in the head on the college’s Oakland, California, campus.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Beam, 66, was shot shortly before noon Thursday inside Laney’s Field House.
A suspect in the shooting was arrested early Friday and has been identified as Cedric Irving, Jr., 27.
Beam, a well-known coach in Oakland’s prep and college football scene, spent nearly two decades at Skyline High School before making the jump to Laney College, where he coached until 2024.
He gained national recognition in 2020 when the Netflix series “Last Chance U” spotlighted Laney College. Beam’s former players described him as a father figure who mentored generations of Oakland athletes.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee called Beam “a giant in Oakland — a mentor, an educator, and a lifeline for thousands of young people.”
Beam retired from coaching after the 2024 season, but remained at the college as its athletic director.