John Beam, a legendary soccer coach featured on Netflix’s “Final Likelihood U” and the Laney School athletic director, has died, at some point after being shot on the Oakland, California campus, police introduced.
At a information convention on Friday, Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell mentioned that Beam died Friday morning. He was 66.
“We’re devastated that John Beam, our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, coach, mentor and pal, has handed,” Beam’s household mentioned in a press release that was learn on the briefing.
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Piedmont police chief Frederick Shavies, who knew Beam since he was in eighth grade, mentioned on the information convention, “John was a lot greater than a coach. He was a father determine to 1000’s of not solely males, however younger girls, in our neighborhood.”
The announcement was made hours after police mentioned an arrest had been made in reference to the capturing. Police recognized the suspect as 27-year-old Cedric Irving Jr.
Alameda County Sheriff’s Workplace 
Police mentioned Irving was situated by Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies on the San Leandro BART station round 3:15 a.m. on Friday. Assistant Police Chief James Beere mentioned at a press convention Friday {that a} suspect weapon was recovered, and confirmed that the suspect knew Beam however didn’t have a relationship.
“This was a really focused incident,” Beere instructed reporters with out elaborating. “And I’ll say that Coach Beam, though they didn’t have an in depth relationship, was open to serving to all people in our neighborhood. And this isn’t unusual for him to have a relationship with somebody that he would suppose wants assist. On this case, I can simply let you know that the person who was arrested went to the campus for a particular motive.”
Beere additionally mentioned the suspect was identified to have loitered on or across the campus and that investigators have been nonetheless figuring out a motive. Beere added that the suspect as soon as performed highschool soccer within the metropolis of Oakland, however didn’t play for a staff that Beam coached.
“He performed soccer at Skyline Excessive Faculty, however not for coach Beam,” Beere mentioned. “To the very best of our data, he was by no means a Laney scholar and didn’t work there.”
Beam was the previous head soccer coach for the Laney School Eagles and gained nationwide recognition within the Netflix docuseries “Final Likelihood U.” The fifth season of the sequence adopted the Eagles through the 2019 season, and highlighted Beam’s lifelong affect on generations of younger soccer gamers on and off the sphere. Beam’s program at Laney was additionally identified for having over 90% of his gamers graduating or transferring to four-year faculties.
Earlier than coming to Laney School, Beam was the longtime head soccer coach for Oakland’s Skyline Excessive Faculty, main the Titans to fifteen league championships and 4 undefeated seasons.
“Coach Beam’s legacy is not measured in championships or statistics, despite the fact that they’re nice. It is measured within the 1000’s of younger individuals he believed in, mentored and refused to desert, together with my nephew whereas at Skyline Excessive Faculty,” Mayor Barbara Lee mentioned Friday. “He gave Oakland’s youth their greatest probability, and he by no means stopped combating for them.”
Among the many estimated 2,500 gamers Beam has coached throughout many years are a number of present and former Nationwide Soccer League gamers, together with Tremendous Bowl champions and Professional Bowlers C.J. Anderson and Marvel Smith. Anderson posted a message on his social media, saying, “I like you Beamer Thanks Brother.”
Brothers Nahshon and Rejzhon Wright, who at the moment play for the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, respectively, additionally posted their ideas of Beam on social media Friday.
“You imply the world to me,” wrote Rejzhon Wright in one among his tributes to Beam on Instagram, adopted by a damaged coronary heart emoji. Nahshon Wright posted a photograph with Beam and the message, “Without end miss you.”
Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-Oakland) known as Beam’s dying “a deep loss for Oakland.”
“His impression reached far past sports activities. He gave younger individuals confidence, construction, and a spot to face,” Simon mentioned in a ready assertion. “Households trusted him as a result of he confirmed up with self-discipline, care and a perception that each younger particular person carried promise.
She added, “Gun violence has lower into our metropolis once more, and we can not settle for this as our future. We owe our individuals security and a collective dedication to cease this hurt.
