A tragic shootout that occurred at the Laney Fieldhouse claimed the life of John Beam, the beloved former football coach and current athletic director at the Laney College in Oakland.
This shootout occurred on the 13th of November, 2025, Thursday. Losing John Beam has left the community deeply shaken. John retired last year from coaching after 45 years of mentoring young athletes but decided to remain active by becoming the athletic director.
He is considered as a father figure by many students including those he coached. He built his entire career around shaping athletes into successful individuals and the best version of themselves. Witnesses at the scene of the crime say that an individual in dark clothing fled the scene.
The authorities are currently looking into the motive behind this incident. As the community rally together to celebrate the life that John Beam had lived, tributes continue to pour in.
