Coach featured in Netflix’s Last Chance U dies after Oakland campus shooting | Oakland

An American football coach who starred in the Netflix documentary Last Chance U, about struggling college teams, has died after being shot on campus, California authorities said.

John Beam, athletic director at Laney College in Oakland, was injured in a midday incident Thursday at the school’s downtown athletic complex. He later died, Oakland police said Friday.

The lockdown on the entire Laney campus was lifted Friday morning and the Oakland Police Department announced it had made an arrest, although it declined to identify the suspect or the circumstances.

Sources told ABC News that Beam was shot in the head and the suspect was arrested in possession of a firearm.

The shooting is the latest incident in a recent outbreak of gun violence that has affected school and college campuses across the United States.

Beam had led the middle school’s athletic program since July 2006, according to the school’s website. He appeared with his team in the fifth and final season of Netflix’s 2020 hit show, which highlights the challenges non-elite colleges face in financing and running a competitive sports program, and chronicles the highs and lows of Laney’s six-win, five-loss 2019 season.

The series’ success led to a two-season spinoff, Last Chance U: Basketball, in 2021.

In a statement, officials with the Peralta Community College District, which oversees Laney, said it was a “frightening time for our community,” adding that there was no longer an active threat and the campus had reopened.

“The safety of our students, faculty and staff is our top priority, and we work closely with police and emergency personnel to ensure the campus remains protected,” the statement said.

Acting Oakland Police Chief John Beere provided some additional details about the incident during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

“There was concern that it was an active shooter. We reacted as if that was the case…I can tell you right now it was not an active shooter,” he said.

Beere said the suspect, a man of unknown race, wearing dark clothing including a hoodie, was seen fleeing the scene. He said investigators are looking into any relationship between Beam and the shooter.

“We’re interviewing witnesses, we’re looking at surveillance footage,” he said.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said in a statement published on X Friday morning that the last two days have been “incredibly difficult for our city.”

“Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland – a mentor, an educator and a lifeline to thousands of young people. For more than 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is reeling alongside his family,” she said.

“This is the second shooting on an Oakland campus in two days, and it is devastating. Schools should be the safest spaces in our city. We need to stop guns on our streets now.”

In a subsequent statement Friday, Lee welcomed the news that one person was in custody. “I am grateful to the Oakland Police Department and our dedicated law enforcement partners for their quick work to bring closure to the Coach Beam shooting,” she said.

“This arrest is a testament to the effective collaboration and dedication of our law enforcement community.”

In Wednesday’s incident, a student was shot at Skyline High School in Oakland, the Associated Press reported. The student is in stable condition. Police say they arrested two juveniles and recovered two firearms.

According to the EveryShot tracker maintained by the advocacy group Everytown, there have been at least 460 campus shooting incidents in 2025, from elementary schools to college and university campuses, including 33 in California. Nationwide, 73 of the shootings resulted in deaths.