A senior member of the athletics staff at a community college in Oakland, California, was shot on campus Thursday, the second time in two days there has been a shooting at a local school in the city.
The Oakland Police Department said it was investigating a shooting that happened just before noon at Laney College, where officers arrived to find a man suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was taken to the hospital and his condition was unknown.
The man was later identified as John Beam, the current athletic director and former head coach of the Laney football team. Beam and Lanny Eagles were featured in the 2020 season of the Netflix documentary series “Last Chance U”. The documentary focused on athletes from junior colleges who want to make a change in their lives.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said her “heart is broken” by “the second shooting at an Oakland campus in a week.”
“My thoughts are with Coach John Beam and his loved ones. We are praying for them,” Lee said in a prepared statement. “Coach Beam is a legend in Oakland – a mentor, a teacher and a lifeline to thousands of youth. For more than 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and his family as well as our community have been moved.”
Lee said: “We stand together, praying for Coach Beam and his loved ones.”
Thursday’s incident came a day after a student was shot at Oakland’s Skyline High School. The condition of the student is stable. Police said they arrested two teenagers and recovered two firearms.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
