A college football coach who starred in the Netflix series Last Chance U is in critical condition after being shot.
John Beam appeared in the fifth and final season of the documentary series, which aired in 2020 and followed his work leading the Laney Eagles team at Laney College in Oakland as they fended off rival teams in the Californian city.
Last year he retired from coaching the community college’s football team after more than four decades but is now its current athletic director.
However, it’s now been reported that Beam is fighting for his life after being shot and wounded on the college’s campus today.
As per The New York Times, the incident unfolded around noon in the Laney Field House sports complex.
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The 66-year-old was the only victim reported and was rushed to hospital with unspecified injuries; however, ABC has reported he was shot in the head.
The attacker, who has not been identified, has since been arrested. No motive has been given, but the shooting is being considered an isolated incident.
Soon after Beam was shot, the Oakland Police Department triggered a lockdown at the community college, but eventually declared the campus was safe after finding there was no active threat. It was then shut for the rest of the day.
‘The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is our highest priority, and we are working closely with police and emergency personnel to ensure the campus remains protected,’ a spokesperson for the college said.
‘This is a frightening moment for our community. We encourage everyone to follow official instructions and rely only on verified communications from the district and law enforcement.’
Beam was a prominent feature of the final season of Last Chance U, which aired across eight episodes and detailed his team’s successes and struggles, as well as the socioeconomic environment and gentrification of Oakland.
Across his career, Beam coached 20 players who have gone on to play professionally for the NFL, as well as more than 100 who later played for Division 1 teams.
Oakland mayor Barbara Lee released a statement following the shooting, writing: ‘My thoughts are with Coach John Beam and his loved ones. We are praying for him.’
She continued: ‘Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland — a mentor, an educator, and a lifeline for thousands of young people. For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family.
‘Schools should be the safest spaces in our city. We need guns off our streets now. We are standing together, praying for Coach Beam and his loved ones.’
In 2022 Beam spoke about his efforts to inspire students to pursue careers not just in football.
‘I put the jerseys [of Laney alumni in the NFL] up there to inspire folks,’ he told KQED.
‘But then on Thursdays, I bring in other folks that come in that have played for me that are now doctors, or write books, or are police officers, or firemen.
‘And so, I want to let everybody know that these are all possibilities.’
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