Police are investigating a shooting at Laney College in Oakland, California, on Thursday. Sources at the San Francisco Chronicle identified the person shot as legendary football coach John Beam.The shooting happened before noon at the community college near Lake Merritt. Acting Oakland Police Chief James Beere said police received reports of the shooting in and around the campus. Officers found Beam with a gunshot wound, and he was taken to a local hospital. Authorities have not released details on Beam’s condition. Beere said this was not believed to be an active shooting. Beam was the college’s athletic director and longtime football coach. He was featured in the Netflix documentary series “Last Chance U” in 2020. Beam also led the team to a championship in 2018. He retired from coaching last year.Police were looking for a potential suspect who was dressed in all-black clothing with a hoodie who fled the scene. The school’s website said classes were canceled “due to an emergency” and people should not come to the campus.Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee called Beam “a giant” in the city and “a lifeline for thousands of young people” in a statement on X.“For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family,” she added.The incident is Oakland’s second shooting at a local school in two days.On Wednesday, one juvenile was shot and two were arrested at Skyline High School, police said. The juvenile who was shot was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition.“It is devastating,” Lee added. “Schools should be the safest spaces in our city. We need guns off our streets now.”CNN contributed to this report
Police are investigating a shooting at Laney College in Oakland, California, on Thursday. Sources at the San Francisco Chronicle identified the person shot as legendary football coach John Beam.
The shooting happened before noon at the community college near Lake Merritt.
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Acting Oakland Police Chief James Beere said police received reports of the shooting in and around the campus. Officers found Beam with a gunshot wound, and he was taken to a local hospital. Authorities have not released details on Beam’s condition.
Beere said this was not believed to be an active shooting.
Beam was the college’s athletic director and longtime football coach. He was featured in the Netflix documentary series “Last Chance U” in 2020. Beam also led the team to a championship in 2018. He retired from coaching last year.
Police were looking for a potential suspect who was dressed in all-black clothing with a hoodie who fled the scene.
The school’s website said classes were canceled “due to an emergency” and people should not come to the campus.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee called Beam “a giant” in the city and “a lifeline for thousands of young people” in a statement on X.
“For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family,” she added.
The incident is Oakland’s second shooting at a local school in two days.
On Wednesday, one juvenile was shot and two were arrested at Skyline High School, police said. The juvenile who was shot was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition.
“It is devastating,” Lee added. “Schools should be the safest spaces in our city. We need guns off our streets now.”
CNN contributed to this report
