John Beam murder case intensifies as Cedric Irving Jr appears wide eyed in court after killing Netflix coach

Former Laney College football coach John Beam, known across the country from the Netflix show Last Chance U , was shot on Thursday morning at the Laney College athletics field house in Oakland, California. He was taken to a nearby hospital but died on Friday from his injuries. John Beam was 66 years old and was loved deeply in the community for his long work with young players.

On Tuesday, the man accused of shooting him, Cedric Irving Jr, made his first appearance in court in Oakland. Cedric Irving Jr is 27 years old and is now charged with murder. Prosecutors say he could face 50 years to life if he is found guilty. He did not enter a plea, and the next hearing is set for December 16.


Cedric Irving Jr appears wide-eyed in court as Oakland police call shooting “very targeted”
Cedric Irving Jr was brought into the courtroom behind a glass divider. He wore a “modesty garment,” a safety outfit used to stop people from hurting themselves.

People in the courtroom said he looked wide-eyed and did not say anything. Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones-Dickson shared on Monday that Cedric Irving Jr has no criminal record.


She also said there is no known motive yet for the shooting at Laney College. Officers reached Laney College just before noon on Thursday, where they found John Beam with a gunshot wound to the head.

Oakland police said the attack was “very targeted.” According to the report, Cedric Irving Jr was arrested around 3 a.m. on Friday at a commuter rail station.

Police said he had the firearm used in the shooting and admitted to the attack in the probable-cause document. John Beam joined Laney College in 2004 and became head coach in 2012.

He won two league titles and helped send at least 20 players to the NFL. In 2020, Netflix showed him and the Laney Eagles in Last Chance U.

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He later became the school’s athletic director after retiring from coaching last year. Police said campus cameras, home cameras, and transit cameras helped track Cedric Irving Jr.

Oakland Assistant Chief James Beere said Cedric Irving Jr had been seen loitering on the campus and was there for a “specific reason,” though he did not share more details.