The brother of the man accused of killing beloved Laney College football coach and athletic director John Beam said Friday he’s in shock and heartbroken.
The suspect, 27-year-old Cedric Irving Jr., was arrested Friday morning in connection with Beam’s shooting on the Laney campus late Thursday morning.
“Hearing about my brother’s arrest shocked me a lot,” Samuael Irving said. “It made me tear up. I couldn’t believe he would have done such a thing like this. I wish he would have just came to his family for help or advice or just anything because we’re family.”
Samuael said he notified his parents of Cedric’s arrest and they were just as heartbroken.
At an address listed for Irving’s father in Ashland in Alameda County, a man holding back tears opened the door and spoke with NBC Bay Area briefly.
“I don’t want to talk right now, OK, because I mean I don’t know what’s going on and until all the facts come out cause I don’t know what’s going on,” the man said.
Oakland police said Cedric was never a student a Laney.
At his last listed address — inside Oakland’s Lockwood Gardens affordable housing community — an apartment now sits empty, with belongings stacked outside the door.
Neighbors on Friday were surprised to hear the news about Cedric’s arrest.
Samuael said his brother played tight end for Skyline High School’s varsity football team in 2016 and 2017 —long after Beam had left for Laney.
Samuael said he used to be close to his brother, but things changed after Cedric left high school. He became distant.
“Everything changed after he graduated,” Samuael said. “Showed a lot of animosity towards me, even his brother since we were kids.”
Samuael said he last spoke to his brother about five months ago. He said Cedric stopped calling him and his parents. He did not know his brother owned a gun or had any other issues.
Police provide updates after former Laney College football coach and current athletic director John Beam died from being shot the day before on the school’s Oakland campus.