Laney College Athletic Director John Beam, who was featured on the Netflix show “Last Chance U” was in shot on the Oakland, California, campus Thursday, officials said.
Beam was in critical condition Thursday night and police are investigating the shooting that occurred at the Laney College Fieldhouse, the Peralta Community College District said.
“We’re currently asking the public’s help in locating a suspect, a potential suspect in this case,” Oakland Police Department Acting Chief James Beere told reporters.
Police responded to reports of shots fired on or near campus shortly before noon, Beere said.
Investigators were looking at surveillance video to help determine what occurred, Beere said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
Beam was featured in season five of the Netflix series “Last Chance U,” which is about college football athletes and their struggles. The season that focused on Beam and Laney College aired in 2020.
"We are stunned and heartbroken that such violence has touched our campus and one of the most respected and beloved members of our Laney, Peralta, and Oakland community," the Peralta Community College District said.
"John Beam is a renowned coach, teacher, mentor, and leader whose impact extends far beyond athletics. Our thoughts are with him and his family," it said.
The college in downtown Oakland has an enrollment of around 17,000. The campus was locked down after the shooting but the lockdown was later lifted.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said that Thursday's shooting was the second at an Oakland school campus this week. On Wednesday a teenager was shot at a high school.
"The last two days have been incredibly heavy for our city," Lee said in a statement. "My thoughts are with Coach John Beam and his loved ones. We are praying for him."
"Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland — a mentor, an educator, and a lifeline for thousands of young people. For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family," she said.
Lee said that schools should be places of safety in the city, and that "we need guns off our streets now."
Beam was head football coach at Laney College from 2012 to 2024, when he retired from that role. He has been athletic director at the school since 2006.
While he was head coach the Laney College Eagles won its first CCCAA football state championship in 2018.
