Charges Filed in Tragic Shooting of Beloved Coach
A 27-year-old man has been formally charged with the murder of John Beam, the celebrated Oakland football coach who was shot and killed last week on the campus of Laney College in northern California.
Cedric Irving Jr, who has no prior criminal record, faces charges of murder and using a firearm during the commission of a crime. Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson announced the charges at a news conference, stating that Irving could potentially face 50 years to life in prison if convicted.
The charging complaint includes enhancement allegations that Irving personally discharged a firearm causing great bodily injury and that the victim was particularly vulnerable, potentially due to his age. The prosecutor did not disclose a possible motive for the killing.
A Community Leader's Final Hours
John Beam had become widely known following his appearance on the Netflix series Last Chance U five years earlier. In a tragic twist, just one day before his death, Beam had spoken at a community forum about security concerns across all four Laney College campuses, including the athletics field house where he would ultimately be killed.
"Coach Beam was such a legend in Oakland, and so that's who he was," Jones Dickson said during the conference. "He always had the time, he always had the energy, he always had the heart for the work. He's part of Oakland's legacy."
Officers responded to Laney College before noon on Thursday, finding Beam with a gunshot wound to the head. He received treatment at a hospital but succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Arrest and Wider Community Impact
Irving was arrested at a commuter rail station just after 3am on Friday. According to the probable cause document, he was carrying the firearm used in the shooting and admitted to carrying out the attack.
Oakland Police Assistant Chief James Beere described the incident as "very targeted," noting that the suspect came to the campus for a "specific reason." While Beere didn't elaborate on how the two men knew each other, he confirmed that Irving was known to spend time around the Laney campus.
This shooting was the second to occur on an Oakland educational campus within two days, coming just after a student was shot at Oakland's Skyline High School. That student remains in stable condition, with two juveniles currently in custody.
District Attorney Jones Dickson highlighted that Skyline students, who were on a field trip at Laney College, endured two lockdowns in the same week. She emphasised the need for accountability in the debate over gun violence, stating, "That's unacceptable that we have children in our community who now this is the norm."
Irving is currently being held without bail and is scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday. The Alameda County Public Defender's office has not yet been appointed to represent him and has declined to comment.
According to his brother's statements to San Francisco media outlets, Irving had recently lost his job as a security guard after an altercation and was facing eviction from his home. He had previously been a member of football and track teams and later attended Laney College.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee paid tribute to Beam, noting that his legacy "isn't measured in championships or statistics. It's measured in the thousands of young people he believed in, mentored, and refused to abandon."
Beam had joined Laney College in 2004 as a running backs coach, becoming head coach in 2012 and winning two league titles. His college biography notes that at least 20 of his players progressed to the NFL. His earlier tenure at Skyline High School saw the team secure 15 Oakland Athletic League titles from the 1980s through the early 2000s.
This incident contributes to the distressing statistics compiled by the EveryShot tracker from advocacy group Everytown, which has recorded at least 469 on-campus gunfire incidents in 2025 across educational institutions from elementary schools to universities.
