why did coach beam get shot

Coach John Beam, the longtime Laney College coach featured on Netflix’s “Last Chance U,” was shot in what police have described as a targeted attack on the Laney College campus in Oakland in November 2025, and he later died from his injuries.

What actually happened

• The shooting took place at the Laney College fieldhouse, where John Beam was working as athletic director after stepping down as head football coach.

• He was found with gunshot wounds late Thursday morning and taken to a hospital, where he was initially in critical condition before dying the next day.

• Police arrested a 27‑year‑old suspect, identified as Cedric Irving (or Cedric Irving Jr. in some reports), at or near a nearby transit/bus stop, and said he was taken into custody without resistance.

Why did Coach Beam get shot?

• Police officials have repeatedly called the shooting a “very targeted incident,” meaning Beam appears to have been specifically singled out rather than hit randomly.

• Investigators say the suspect knew of Coach Beam and was “familiar” with him, but they did not have a close relationship and the suspect had never played for him.

• As of the latest detailed coverage in November 2025, authorities had not publicly disclosed a clear motive for the attack; reports explicitly note that the motive remains unknown or undisclosed.

So, in direct terms:

• Coach Beam was shot in a targeted attack on campus by someone who knew who he was.
• The suspect has been arrested, but police have not explained why he did it, so any specific story about the motive right now is speculation, not confirmed fact.

Context and reaction

• Beam was widely described as a “father figure” who mentored thousands of young people through decades of coaching in Oakland, first at Skyline High School and then at Laney College.

• The shooting came just one day after an unrelated shooting of a student at Skyline High School, adding to the shock in the local school and football communities.

• His family and former players have emphasized his impact as a coach, mentor, and community leader, which is why his death drew national attention beyond just sports news.

Information gathered from public news reports and other publicly available online coverage of the incident.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.