John Beam, a 66-year-old junior college football coach who gained fame at Laney College in Oakland, California, during the final season of Netflix‘s “Last Chance U,” died from gunshot woulds after being shot Thursday on campus, according to the Oakland Police Department.
The 27-year-old gunman was arrested early Friday morning at a Bay Area Rapid Transit station in San Leandro, California, Oakland police said, according to The New York Times.
Police Chief Floyd Mitchell announced Beam’s death at a news conference Friday, according to The Associated Press, which also reported that Assistant Chief James Beere said that although the suspect in custody and Beam weren’t close, they knew other. Beere called it “a very targeted incident,” per the AP.
Beere added that the suspect had played football at Skyline High School but not while Beam worked there before his Laney College days, according to the AP.
The shooting reportedly occurred at the football facility on Laney College’s campus, where Beam worked as head coach since 2012 before stepping down in 2024. He had remained the school’s athletic director.
The Peralta Community College District initially sent an emergency alert saying an active shooter was on campus, but later clarified only one person was shot. A subsequent statement did not directly identify Beam, describing him only as a senior member of the athletic staff, but said he had been transported to the hospital.
From KTVU:
“A senior member of our athletic staff was shot on campus in the Laney Field House. 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. Out of respect for their privacy, we are not releasing their name at this moment,” the college said.
Beam was a well-known figure in the Bay Area football community, and his efforts were documented on “Last Chance U” in 2020. Unlike other seasons of the show, Beam was portrayed as an empathetic coach relentlessly dedicated to his players, and one who got results. Before Laney, he recorded a 160-33-3 record as Skyline’s football coach.
Between the two jobs, Beam had seen over 20 players reach the NFL. In an eerie coincidence, a student was reportedly shot at Skyline less than 24 hours earlier.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee released a statement Thursday, via the Times:
“I am heartbroken by today’s shooting at Laney College — the second shooting on an Oakland campus in one week,” Ms. Lee said. “We must continue confronting the ongoing gun violence crisis that is robbing our community of safety and stealing futures.”