Suspect in killing of ‘Last Chance U’ coach John Beam is charged with murder, gun enhancements

The man accused of killing Laney College athletic director and longtime football coach John Beam has been charged with murder and also faces a gun enhancement in the case. 

Cedric Irving faces 50 years to life if convicted of Beam’s murder, which come with the enhancement that he discharged a firearm. These chargers were issued Monday by Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson. 

Irving, 27, is accused of shooting and killing Beam last week at the Laney Fieldhouse sports facility. Beam, 66, died the next morning, hours after Irving was located following a manhunt. 

Dickson said that Beam’s shooting, in addition to a second shooting last week at Oakland’s Skyline High School, has led to her office to reinstitute mandatory minimum sentences in gun cases in Alameda County. 

Dickson did not relate details about Beam’s shooting, and police have not released any information about a motive in the shooting, which is being called a “very targeted incident.” Dickson did confirm that Irving made statements to police officers about the shooting, but did not provide details about what was said.

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Carter Bahns

While he was not a student or an employee at Laney College, Irving was known to be a loiter around the camps area. He played football at Skyline High School, which is where Beam coached before he was hired at Laney. Beam did not coach Irving during his time at Skyline. 

A lifetime Californian, Beam rose to national fame when he and Laney’s football team were featured in Netflix’s “Last Chance U” series. He spent 25 years as a high school coach that included 17 seasons as Skyline’s head coach (compiling a 160-33-3 record that included 15 Oakland Athletic League championships and 11 Oakland Section titles) before joining Laney’s staff in 2004. 

Beam was promoted to head coach in 2012 and remained in that position through the 2024 season. In 2018, he led Laney to a California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) title. He became the school’s athletic director in 2024.