OAKLAND, Calif. — Laney College’s athletic director John Beam was shot on campus Thursday, the second shooting in two days at an Oakland school.
The shooting occurred just before noon at a fieldhouse on campus, and sources told ABC 7 that Beam was shot in the head. He was rushed to a local hospital where he is listed in critical condition. The alleged shooter fled the scene and remains at large. The suspect is described as a male of unknown race and wearing dark clothing, according to Oakland Police.
The campus was placed on lockdown following the incident but was lifted shortly after at 1:15 p.m. The school was closed for the rest of the day but reopened Friday.
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Laney College is a public community college and is part of the Peralta Community College District. Laney’s football program was previously featured on the Netflix series ‘Last Chance U’ in 2020, when Beam was the head coach. The docuseries followed junior college athletes looking to turn their lives around.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Oakland Police at 510-238-3821.
Second Shooting in 2 Days at Oakland School
The Laney College shooting came a day after a student was shot at Oakland’s Skyline High School, Campus Safety previously reported. The shooting happened inside a school bathroom Wednesday afternoon. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital where they are listed in stable condition. Authorities have not said if the two suspects, both juveniles, are students at the school. Two firearms were also recovered by police.
Following the Skyline High School shooting, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee called gun violence in the city a crisis, Local News Matters reports.
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“We will continue working with law enforcement, community partners, and school officials to protect our children and ensure our schools remain sanctuaries of learning, not scenes of violence like today,” she said.
Wednesday’s incident was the third shooting at the school in just over two years. In Sept. 2023, the school was placed in lockdown after reports of shots fired near the campus’ theater area. No one was injured but a gun was recovered. Three juveniles were arrested and charged in connection with the shooting.
