A 27-year-old man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of John Beam, the celebrated former football coach and star of the Netflix series 'Last Chance U'. Beam, 66, died on Friday after being shot at Laney College in Oakland, where he worked as athletic director.
Cedric Irving faces charges of first-degree murder, with enhancements alleging he personally fired the gun causing great bodily injury and that the victim was particularly vulnerable due to age. The mandatory minimum for first-degree murder is 25 years to life, with an additional 25 years to life for discharging a firearm resulting in death.
Police responded to Laney College on Thursday morning to find Beam wounded at the athletics field house. He died the following day. Irving was arrested at a commuter rail station early Friday, carrying the firearm used in the shooting, and admitted to the act, according to court documents.
Oakland Assistant Chief James Beere described the incident as 'targeted' and said Irving went to the campus for a 'specific reason', though he did not elaborate on the motive or the relationship between the two men. Irving's brother told the San Francisco Chronicle that Irving had recently lost his job as a security guard and was facing eviction.
Beam joined Laney College in 2004 as a running backs coach and became head coach in 2012, winning two league titles. At least 20 of his players went on to the NFL. The shooting occurred a day after a student was shot at Oakland's Skyline High School, where Beam had previously worked.
