The man accused of shooting “Last Chance U” football coach John Beam has been charged with murder.
Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson announced the charges against Cedric Irving Jr. during a news conference Monday, several hours after Beam, 66, was shot at the Laney Fieldhouse on the Laney College campus in Oakland, Calif.
The suspect, who does not have a previous criminal record, was arrested Friday morning around 4 a.m., several hours after the athletic director was shot. Beam died later Friday morning at an Oakland hospital.
Irving is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail, according to inmate records. He has been charged with murder and special enhancements of intentionally discharging a firearm to cause great bodily injury, plus engaging in violent conduct.
Police have not released a motive for the shooting, but said the suspect targeted Beam. During Monday’s press conference, the district attorney declined to discuss the suspect or his “state of mind.”
Samuael Irving, the accused’s brother, told the San Francisco Chronicle his sibling excelled at sports and academics in high school but grew estranged from the family in recent years.
Irving Jr. is set to be arraigned Tuesday morning. He could be sentenced to 50 years to life if convicted.
Beam was formerly head coach at Skyline High School in Oakland and then the head coach at Laney College, where he became known for steering junior college players to major college football programs and even the NFL. He and Laney College were featured in the Netflix series “Last Chance U” in 2020.
