Legendary Oakland coach John Beam dies after Laney College shooting; suspect arrested, police say

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — ABC7 News has learned that legendary Oakland football coach John Beam has died after being shot on Laney College’s campus Thursday afternoon.

Loved ones remember Beam as a larger-than-life personality that helped countless athletes turn their lives around and was a “pillar” in the Oakland community.

Beam is survived by his wife, two daughters and granddaughters.

Authorities also confirmed that a suspect was taken into custody early Friday morning around 3 a.m., and was in possession of a gun, a source told ABC7 News. Authorities had been searching for the suspect since he fled the scene after the shooting at noon on Thursday.

Beam was declared decease at 10 a.m. Friday after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head.

The shooting happened at the fieldhouse on campus at East 8th Street and Fifth Avenue, just south of Lake Merritt.

VIDEO: What to know about Laney College Athletic Director John Beam who was shot on Oakland campus

The college was placed on lockdown Thursday, which was then lifted. The campus was closed for the rest of the day Thursday but it is open Friday.

Oakland police respond to crimes at Laney College but daily security is provided by contracted guards that are not armed. The head of public safety for the community college district just last month proposed creating an in-house security team that would be armed.

In addition to the increased security we’ve seen on campus Friday, counselors were also supposed to be on hand here as well.

Nineteen-year-old Geovanni Valverde and his teammates were stunned to hear that Beam had been shot.

“I was shocked. It didn’t feel real. It was really a surreal moment,” said Valverde, a Laney College football player.

Valverde, who plays left guard for Laney College football, says Beam has had a big impact on the lives of many young players.

RELATED: Oakland’s Laney College football team reacts to debut on Netflix series ‘Last Chance U’

“He recruited all of us to play at Laney. I know it was another opportunity to play football,” he said. “He helped a lot of people go to the NFL. He gave people what they don’t really get. How they were raised and stuff.

Laney is a public community college and is part of the four-campus Peralta Community College District.

The district released the following statement in response to the shooting:

“At approximately noon, a senior member of our athletic staff was shot on campus in the Laney Field House. The individual was immediately transported to a local hospital, and we are keeping them-and their loved ones-in our hearts during this incredibly difficult time. Out of respect for their privacy, we are not releasing their name at this moment.”

Friends and former colleagues of Beam are also reacting to the news.

“What happened today sends shockwaves through the community,” said Lou Richie, head basketball coach at Bishop O’Dowd High School and a friend of Beam’s. “He has affected more kids than anyone I know in Oakland and has stayed true to his form all of these years. He tells you how he sees it, and he doesn’t go back on his word. He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.”

“To see today where someone who is a pillar in our community suffers at the hands of gun violence lets me know there’s much more work that needs to be done,” said LaRonne Armstrong, former Oakland police chief, basketball coach, and friend of Beam’s. “My efforts, along with many others’ efforts to try and reduce violence in the city of Oakland, has still not gotten us to a safe place.”

The college’s football program was previously featured on the Netflix series ‘Last Chance U’ in 2020. Beam was the head coach at the time.

This is still an active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Oakland police at 510-238-3821.

Stay with ABC7 News for the latest details on this developing story.