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11/14 11:25 CST Suspect arrested in shooting of ?Last Chance U' coach John
Beam, Oakland police say
Suspect arrested in shooting of ?Last Chance U' coach John Beam, Oakland police
say
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) --- A suspect has been arrested in the shooting of college
football coach John Beam, who was featured in the Netflix show "Last Chance U"
and remains in critical condition after being shot on the school's campus, the
Oakland Police Department and other authorities said Friday.
Few other details were available. It was the second time in two days there was
a shooting at a school in Oakland.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee described Beam as a "giant" and a mentor, educator
and lifeline for young people.
"For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our
community is shaken alongside his family," Lee said.
The Netflix docuseries focused on athletes at junior colleges looking to turn
their lives around. Beam's whose Laney College Eagles starred in the 2020
season.
Two of Beam's former players, brothers Nahshon and Rejzohn Wright, who
currently play in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, posted
on social media after the shooting.
"You mean the world to me," Rejzohn Wright said in a post with a photo of Beam.
His brother posted a photo of the coach with a broken heart emoji.
Beam, currently serving as athletic director, began at Laney College in 2004 as
a running backs coach before eventually becoming head coach in 2012, winning
two league titles. According to his biography on Laney College's website, 20 of
his players have gone on to the NFL.
"The Peralta community is devastated by his shooting and deeply concerned for
his well-being. We are stunned and heartbroken that such violence has touched
our campus," Mark Johnson a spokesperson for Peralta Community College District
said in an emailed statement on Beam's current medical status.
Beam's shooting came a day after a student got shot at Oakland's Skyline High
School. The student is in stable condition.
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