John Beam, former football coach and ‘Last Chance U’ star, dies after shooting
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John Beam, a former football coach and star of Netflix’s ‘Last Chance U’ series, has died as a result of injuries sustained in an on-campus shooting this week.
That news was first reported by ABC News on Friday afternoon. Beam was shot on Thursday at Laney College in Oakland, California. Per ABC News, authorities confirmed they arrested a suspect early Friday morning. According to Oakland Police, this was a “targeted incident.”
Laney College’s 2019 season was chronicled by Netflix in Season 5 of ‘Last Chance U.’ The series was not renewed by Netflix following the airing of Season 5 in 2020.
Beam was a football coach in the Bay Area for 4 decades before becoming Laney College’s athletic director last year.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee shared a statement on social media on Thursday following the shooting.
“Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland — a mentor, an educator, and a lifeline for thousands of young people,” the statement reads in-part. “For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family.”
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
