John Beam, a cherished football coach whose mentorship and care touched the lives of thousands of people, has died after being shot Thursday on an Oakland college campus \u2014 a devastating loss for a California community still reeling from another act of school gun violence just days earlier.<\/p>\n
The revered Bay Area football figure featured in Netflix documentary series \u201cLast Chance U\u201d was rushed to Highland Hospital in critical condition Thursday but died Friday morning, Oakland police homicide commander Lt. Gloria Beltran announced at a news conference.<\/p>\n
Police identified the suspect as 27-year-old Cedric Irving, Beltran said. The suspect was acquainted with Beam but did not have a close relationship with him, according to Oakland Assistant Chief of Police James Beere.<\/p>\n
For many, the news felt unthinkable.<\/p>\n
Piedmont Police Chief Frederick Shavies described Beam as a \u201cfather figure to thousands of not only men but young women,\u201d someone who left an \u201cindelible\u201d imprint on Oakland and far beyond.<\/p>\n
Hundreds gathered for a vigil Thursday night, holding candles and hope as Beam fought for his life \u2014 the same way he had spent decades teaching young people to fight for their own, Shavies said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur hearts are aching,\u201d Shavies said, reflecting on the man he had known since eighth grade \u2014 the man who stepped in with support after Shavies\u2019 father died.<\/p>\n
Beam\u2019s family said in a statement read by police: \u201cWe are devastated that John \u2014 our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, coach, mentor and friend \u2014 has passed. Our hearts are full from the outpouring of love and support from all who cared about him. We are deeply grateful for your continued prayers and ask for privacy during this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, questions remain about what authorities described as a \u201cvery targeted incident,\u201d as the suspect awaits formal charges. The case will be referred to the district attorney\u2019s office for review.<\/p>\n
What we know about the suspect<\/p>\n
On Thursday at 11:53 a.m., Oakland Police officers responded to Laney College and found Beam suffering from gunshot wounds, Beltran said.<\/p>\n
Beam had been at the college\u2019s fieldhouse, which houses the athletic training facilities, where he continued serving as athletic director after retiring as head football coach last year. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and listed in critical condition.<\/p>\n
Officials obtained photos of the suspect, who was later spotted at the San Leandro Bay Area Rapid Transit station. He was taken into custody and gave a statement to police regarding the shooting, Beltran said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ability to actually track the suspect after he left Laney College was a diligent effort and an amazing, heavy lift to go through hundreds of hours of surveillance footage so we could track that individual,\u201d Beere, Oakland\u2019s assistant chief of police, said.<\/p>\n
The suspect played football at Skyline High School in Oakland, but not while Beam was employed there, authorities said. Although Irving was not a student at Laney College, he was often seen loitering on campus, Beere added.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoach Beam, although (he and the suspect) did not have a close relationship, was open to helping everybody in our community, and this is not uncommon for him to have a relationship with someone that he would think needs help,\u201d Beere said.<\/p>\n
Officials said Irving was on campus for a specific purpose, though they did not specify what that was. While authorities described the encounter as targeted, Beere confirmed it was not connected to a robbery.<\/p>\n
Suspect arrested in shooting of Oakland coach John Beam at Laney College<\/p>\n
A champion for second chances<\/p>\n
Beam\u2019s impact on the game stretched across more than four decades. He began coaching in Oakland in 1982 as Skyline High School\u2019s defensive coordinator before joining Laney College in 2004 as the running backs coach, later becoming offensive coordinator and eventually head coach in 2012. Under his leadership, Laney won two league titles.<\/p>\n
His influence reached far beyond the sidelines. More than 20 of Beam\u2019s former players went on to the NFL, including seven who played in the Super Bowl, according to his biography on the college\u2019s website.<\/a><\/p>\n His appearance in the 2020 season of \u201cLast Chance U\u201d introduced his tough-love mentorship style to a national audience and cemented his status as a champion for young athletes seeking a second chance.<\/p>\n CNN has reached out to Netflix for comment.<\/p>\n To the Bay Area, Beam was more than a coach. He was a builder of people, a steady presence, a believer in potential.<\/p>\n Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee reflected on the profound impact Beam had on the community, calling his legacy one \u201cwe all have to lift up, given the way he mentored young people, people who never would have had a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n Beam coached the mayor\u2019s nephew when he attended Skyline High School, she said, calling Beam \u201ca phenomenal human being.\u201d His influence transcended the football field, she added; he was a mentor, a friend, and a source of guidance for students, athletes and community members from all walks of life.<\/p>\n The mayor described the city\u2019s grief, noting the outpouring of support from people across Oakland as the community struggles with the loss.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was friends with everyone and encouraged everyone. He never thought anyone was a lost cause,\u201d Lee told CNN on Friday. \u201cPeople feel the void already and are grieving this loss like you would not believe.\u201d<\/p>\n Athletes across the country took to social media to mourn Beam, sharing photos and memories that capture the stunning impact he had on their lives. Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright posted a group photo with Beam<\/a>, writing simply, \u201cWill forever miss you dawg.\u201d New Orleans Saints cornerback Rejzohn Wright shared a heartfelt homage,<\/a> captioning a cheerful photo of a trio posing with Beam, \u201cCrushed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI pray my prayers strong enough,\u201d Wright wrote over a memorial video montage of Beam guiding and inspiring his athletes.<\/p>\n Both athletes shared a video from April 2023, taken days before the NFL draft, showing Beam at football practice. Wearing his signature sunglasses and mustache, he jokes with the players while offering guidance \u2014 a fleeting, tender glimpse of the warmth, humor, and care that made him much more than a coach.<\/p>\n Closing his remarks during the news conference, Shavies said, \u201cI know that if Coach were here, he\u2019d finish by saying, \u2018Two claps \u2014 ready, ready.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Another life \u2018stolen\u2019 by gun violence<\/p>\n Laney College was placed on lockdown<\/a> Thursday after reports of a shooting, as police secured the area and launched an investigation. The campus reopened Friday with mental health and counseling services available, the college said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Peralta community is devastated by his shooting,\u201d Chancellor Tammeil Gilkerson said in a message to employees. \u201cWe are stunned and heartbroken that such violence has touched our campus and one of the most respected and beloved members of our Laney, Peralta, and Oakland community.\u201d<\/p>\n Gilkerson described Beam as \u201ca renowned coach, teacher, mentor, and leader whose impact extends far beyond athletics.\u201d<\/p>\n In an earlier statement, Lee condemned the killing, saying gun violence has \u201cstolen\u201d another life and warning that the city cannot allow firearms to continue flooding its streets and destroying the very people \u201cwho are trying to save our community.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCoach\u2019s Beam\u2019s legacy isn\u2019t measured in championships or statistics,\u201d Lee said in the statement Friday. \u201cIt\u2019s measured in the thousands of young people he believed in, mentored, and refused to abandon \u2026 He gave Oakland\u2019s youth their best chance, and he never stopped fighting for them.\u201d<\/p>\n The incident is Oakland\u2019s second school shooting in two days.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, one juvenile was shot and two were arrested at Skyline High School, police said<\/a>. The juvenile who was shot was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is devastating,\u201d Lee added. \u201cSchools should be the safest spaces in our city. We need guns off our streets now.\u201d<\/p>\n WTVR.com: Trending Videos <\/p>\n