A suspect was arrested in connection with the shooting of “Last Chance U” athletic director and retired football coach John Beam, the Oakland Police Department said Friday.
Beam was in critical condition Thursday night following the shooting at the Laney College Fieldhouse, the Peralta Community College District said.
Oakland police did not immediately identify the suspect or disclose details of the arrest.
Nonetheless, Mayor Barbara Lee thanked police for the apprehension that came less than 24 hours after the shooting.
"I’m grateful to the Oakland Police Department and our dedicated law enforcement partners for their swift work in making an arrest in the shooting of Coach Beam," Lee said in a statement.
"This arrest is a testament to the effective collaboration and dedication of our law enforcement community.”
Beam is best known as the coach who was profiled in season five of the Netflix series “Last Chance U,” which follows players on a college football team struggling to make the best of limited or final opportunities.
The season that focused on Beam and Laney College aired in 2020.
Beam has been athletic director at the junior college near downtown Oakland, California, since 2006 and was the football coach from 2012 through last season.
Former Denver Broncos running back and 1,000-yard rusher C.J. Anderson played for Beam at Laney.
Before going to junior college, Beam coached at Skyline High School in Oakland, where Pro Bowl offensive lineman Marvel Smith played in his prep ball. Smith played nine seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Beam led Laney to the 2018 California Community College Athletic Association title.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
