John Beam, beloved former football coach featured in Netflix’s ‘Last Chance U,’ is shot on Oakland college campus
By Laura Sharman, CNN
(CNN) — Former football coach John Beam, a beloved figure in the California Bay Area who was featured in the Netflix series “Last Chance U,” was shot Thursday on the campus of Laney College in Oakland, according to CNN affiliate KPIX.
Police are investigating the shooting that occurred just before midday at the college’s sports complex, according to the Peralta Community College District, which includes Laney. Beam remains the school’s athletic director after retiring as the head football coach last year.
Authorities have not detailed Beam’s condition. The Oakland Police Department said responding officers discovered a man with gunshot wounds, and medics transferred him to the hospital.
Police have not given a motive for the shooting, and no suspect has been identified.
Beam starred in the 2020 season of the Netflix documentary series ‘Last Chance U,’ a docuseries focusing on community college athletes striving to turn their lives around.
He was revered in the Bay Area after coaching for more than four decades at both the junior college and high school levels.
Laney College was placed on lockdown after reports of a shooting, as police secured the area and launched an investigation. The campus remained closed Thursday.
“This is a frightening moment for our community,” the Peralta Community College District said in a statement.
“The individual was immediately transported to a local hospital, and we are keeping them—and their loved ones—in our hearts during this incredibly difficult time.”
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee called Beam “a giant” in the city and “a lifeline for thousands of young people” in a statement on X.
“For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family,” she added.
The incident is Oakland’s second shooting at a local school in two days.
On Wednesday, one juvenile was shot and two were arrested at Skyline High School, police said. The juvenile who was shot was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition.
“It is devastating,” Lee added. “Schools should be the safest spaces in our city. We need guns off our streets now.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
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