A 27-year-old man was charged Monday (November 18) with murder in the shooting death of football coach John Beam. The ‘Last Chance U’ star died Friday after being shot in the head on the junior college campus in Oakland, where he worked.
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Shooting Suspect Facing Serious Prison Time
The suspect, Cedric Irving Jr., could face 50 years to life if convicted, Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said. According to the Associated Press, Irving also faces enhancement charges alleging he personally fired a gun that caused great bodily injury and that the victim was particularly vulnerable, possibly due to being 66, per the charging complaint.
The district attorney stated that the suspect had no prior criminal record. He is being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday. The Alameda County Public Defender’s Office said it has not been appointed to represent Irving and declined to comment.
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Coach Shot In The Head On College Campus
Officers arrived at Laney College before noon on Thursday to find John Beam shot in the head at the athletics field house. Medical professionals treated him at a hospital, but he died the following day from his injuries.
Police arrested Irving at a commuter rail station just after 3 a.m. Friday. He was carrying the firearm used to shoot Beam. Also, he admitted to carrying out the shooting, according to the probable cause document. Oakland Police Assistant Chief James Beere said the suspect went on campus for a “specific reason” but did not elaborate. “This was a very targeted incident,” he said at a Friday news conference. Beere did not say how the two men knew each other. However, he said Irving was known to hang around the Laney campus. Irving’s brother told the San Francisco Chronicle that Irving had lost his job as a security guard after an altercation. Additionally, he was facing eviction at home.
John Beam Remembered As Cherished Community Leader
John Beam was a giant in the local community, a father figure who formed deep bonds with his players while fielding a team that regularly competed for championships. The Netflix docuseries ‘Last Chance U’ focused on Beam and the Laney Eagles in its 2020 season. He’d most recently been serving as the school’s athletic director after retiring from coaching last year.
“He really is the best of Oakland — was the best of Oakland,” Jones Dickson said. “His spirit is still here.”
John Beam joined Laney College in 2004 as a running backs coach. He became head coach in 2012, winning two league titles. According to his biography on the college’s website, at least 20 of his players went on to the NFL. Beam previously worked at Skyline High School, where the shooter had played football. However, that happened after Beam had left for another job.
Back-to-back shootings at two schools last week have roiled Oakland, a city of roughly 400,000 across the bay from San Francisco. Last Wednesday, a student was shot at Oakland’s Skyline High School. The student is in stable condition and two juveniles were in custody.
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Associated Press writers Terry Chea and Janie Har contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
