OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — In the East Bay, an outpouring of love and remembrance continues this weekend for legendary Oakland football coach John Beam. The longtime Laney College Athletic Director was shot on campus Thursday and died Friday. A suspect is now in custody.
Many honored Beam at Laney Saturday, as well as at a church-sponsored gun buyback event.
“It’s just unbelievable this would happen. I had no choice but to come down and pay respects,” said Junior Jackson.
Jackson visited the fence line memorial near the Laney College Fieldhouse to honor Coach John Beam, who once told him he wasn’t cut out to play football at Oakland’s Skyline High School.
“It was his guidance that steered me to the track team. I remember that was his guidance. I appreciated that,” Jackson said.
Beam, a larger-than-life football legend in the Bay Area, died one day after being shot at Laney College on Thursday. Twenty-seven-year-old Cedric Irving Jr. was arrested Friday.
Police are calling it a targeted attack, though a motive isn’t clear. Authorities say the suspect was not a current student but was known to loiter on campus and knew Beam.
“Everybody’s trying to figure out who would do this, you know,” said Dior Scott. Scott played football for Beam’s Laney Eagles from 2018 to 2019.
He was featured, along with Beam, in the Netflix series *Last Chance U,* when Scott was unhoused and living in his car. Beam’s tough love helped turn his life around.
“In the beginning, you say, ‘Who’s this old man giving advice?’ But he’s saying that stuff because he cares about you and wants you to succeed. Now I’m in Hawaii trying to give back to people as a teacher and security guard, trying to give back to the youth like Coach Beam did for us, trying to follow in his footsteps,” Scott shared.
Cars lined up Saturday for a gun buyback at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Oakland. Although the event was previously scheduled, many say Beam’s shooting motivated them to come.
“We were talking about that on the way here. I have no problem with guns if used safely. But that was part of it, too. What happened to him so tragic,” said Lisa Vegas from Livermore.
“I think we could turn this into a positive. I think that’s what Coach would want for the city as well,” said Pastor Michael Wallace.
Cedric Irving Jr. is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
https://abc7news.com/post/last-chance-player-honors-late-oakland-coach-john-beam-fatal-shooting-weighs-crowd-gun-buyback-event/18159811/