Police say the 66-year-old Laney College athletic director was targeted on campus; a 27-year-old suspect is in custody.
OAKLAND, Calif. — A 27-year-old man has been arrested in the shooting that killed John Beam, the longtime Oakland football coach and Laney College athletic director known from Netflix’s “Last Chance U.” Beam was shot late Thursday morning at the Laney College field house and died Friday, authorities said.
Beam’s killing rattled a city that long saw him as a mentor to thousands of students and athletes. Police said the attack appeared targeted and that the suspect knew Beam but did not have a relationship with him. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from campus and the surrounding area after the Thursday shooting, leading to an arrest before dawn Friday. The case is now with prosecutors for charging decisions as the college, former players and civic leaders mourn Beam’s death and call attention to campus safety concerns.
Police and college officials said Beam was shot shortly before noon Thursday inside the field house along the 900 block of Fallon Street, steps from the football field where he spent years coaching. He was taken to Highland Hospital in critical condition and died around 10 a.m. Friday, according to police. At an afternoon briefing, Assistant Police Chief James Beere called the attack “very targeted” and said detectives believed the suspect came to campus “for a specific reason.” Outgoing Police Chief Floyd Mitchell opened the briefing by honoring Beam’s legacy. “I know that Coach John Beam meant a lot to the Oakland community and beyond,” Mitchell said. A family statement read by police thanked supporters and asked for privacy as relatives grieved.
Authorities identified the suspect as Cedric Irving Jr., 27. Alameda County authorities said a sheriff’s deputy spotted Irving before dawn Friday at the San Leandro BART station carrying duffel bags; officers detained him without incident. Investigators said video from campus and nearby transportation systems helped track the suspect. Police recovered a firearm and said it matched the caliber of rounds found at the scene. Officials said Beam and Irving knew each other, though not closely. Beere said Irving was not a Laney student and had been seen around the campus. A possible motive has not been released. As of Friday evening, Irving was being held on suspicion of murder and a weapons violation while prosecutors reviewed the evidence.
Beam, 66, spent more than four decades coaching in Oakland, first at Skyline High School, where his teams won multiple league titles, and later at Laney College, where he took over as head coach in 2012. He retired from coaching in 2024 but remained the school’s athletic director. Beam and the Laney Eagles were featured in the 2020 season of “Last Chance U,” which chronicled junior college programs and players seeking a path forward. According to school biographies and past interviews, more than 20 of his former players reached the NFL; many others graduated, transferred to four-year programs and stayed connected to Beam as a mentor.
The shooting came one day after a separate incident at Skyline High School in which a 15-year-old student was shot and wounded, heightening concerns around school safety across Oakland. Beam had recently spoken about security on campuses, according to colleagues who described him as a constant advocate for students’ well-being. The Peralta Community College District said the field house where Beam was shot houses athletic facilities and offices. After the attack, Laney College went into lockdown while officers searched buildings and reviewed camera footage from campus, businesses and transit systems.
Police said they reviewed “hundreds of hours” of video as part of the investigation. Beere said footage from a bus and other nearby cameras helped guide officers to the suspect at the BART station. Officials said the arrest occurred early Friday; no shots were fired during the detention. The Oakland Police Department said it would forward its case to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. If prosecutors file charges, the suspect’s first court appearance would be scheduled in the coming days in an Alameda County courtroom. Detectives are still working to confirm a motive, gather additional witness statements and complete forensic testing of the recovered firearm and shell casings.
Tributes poured in from across sports and city leadership. Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee praised Beam’s mentorship, saying his legacy “isn’t measured in championships or statistics” but in the thousands of young people he believed in. Piedmont Police Chief Frederick Shavies, a former Oakland deputy chief who knew Beam since adolescence, called him “a father figure.” Former players and friends stood vigil outside Highland Hospital on Thursday night. At a Friday news conference, a brief statement from Beam’s family described him as “a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, coach, mentor and friend.” The brother of the suspect said in a separate interview that the family was “in shock and heartbroken” and that Irving had struggled in recent years.
As of Saturday, classes and activities at Laney College were expected to continue with additional security while grief counselors remained available for students and staff, the district said. Police asked anyone with relevant footage or information to contact investigators as they worked to finalize the case file for prosecutors this week. A public memorial is expected to be discussed after the charging decision, with details to be announced by the college and Beam’s family.
Author note: Last updated November 16, 2025.