The BareStory
John Beam, the athletic director at Laney College in Oakland, has died after being shot on the college's campus. According to the Oakland Police Department, Beam was shot on Thursday and succumbed to his injuries on Friday morning.
Authorities announced on Friday the arrest of a 27-year-old suspect, Cedric Irving. Police stated that after reviewing surveillance footage, Irving was located and taken into custody at a Bay Area Rapid Transit station at approximately 3:15 a.m. on Friday. A gun was recovered from the suspect, which police said was the same caliber as evidence found at the scene of the shooting.
According to police officials, the incident was described as "very targeted." Officials stated that Irving knew Beam, but they did not have a close relationship. Police also claimed that the suspect, who was not a student or employee at the college, went to the campus for a "specific reason." Investigators are still determining a motive for the shooting.
Beam, 66, was a former longtime football coach who gained national recognition after being featured in the docuseries "Last Chance U." Tributes were paid by public officials, with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee calling Beam a "giant in Oakland" who mentored thousands of young people. Piedmont Police Chief Frederick Shavies described him as a father figure and an "absolutely incredible human being."
How it may affect me
As a U.S. reader:
• This incident on a college campus could lead other educational institutions nationwide to review their security measures and policies regarding non-student access to their grounds.
• The suspect’s arrest at a transit station using surveillance footage may reinforce the role of such technology in public safety efforts within transportation systems.
• As police believe the shooting was targeted and not random, the direct threat to the general public or the wider college community is considered low.
