OAKLAND, Calif. -- A suspect has been arrested in the shooting of college football coach John Beam, who was featured in the Netflix show "Last Chance U" and remains in critical condition after being shot on the school's campus, the Oakland Police Department and other authorities said Friday.
Few other details were available. It was the second time in two days that there was a shooting at a school in Oakland.
Mayor Barbara Lee described Beam as a "giant" and a mentor, educator and lifeline for young people.
"For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family," Lee said.
The Netflix docuseries focused on athletes at junior colleges looking to turn their lives around. Beam's Laney College Eagles starred in the 2020 season.
Two of Beam's former players, brothers Nahshon and Rejzohn Wright, who currently play in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, posted on social media after the shooting.
"You mean the world to me," Rejzohn Wright said in a post with a photo of Beam.
His brother posted a photo of the coach with a broken heart emoji.
Beam, currently serving as athletic director, began at Laney College in 2004 as a running backs coach before eventually becoming head coach in 2012, winning two league titles. Twenty of his players have gone on to the NFL, according to his biography on Laney College's website.
"The Peralta community is devastated by his shooting and deeply concerned for his well-being," Mark Johnson, a spokesperson for Peralta Community College District, said in an emailed statement on Beam's current medical status. "We are stunned and heartbroken that such violence has touched our campus."
Thursday's shooting came a day after a student got shot at Oakland's Skyline High School. The student is in stable condition.
