Suspect in Last Chance U Coach's 'Targeted' Killing Allegedly Had Bizarre Motive: Reports By Liam Quinn 17

The man accused of killing John Beam allegedly said he believed the former Last Chance U coach had performed witchcraft on him.

Cedric Irving Jr. was charged with murder after authorities accused him of fatally shooting Beam on the campus of Laney College in Oakland, Calif., the Alameda County District Attorney said.

Beam was the highly regarded football coach at Laney until his retirement in 2024. He was still the school’s athletic director at the time of his death.

Citing law enforcement sources, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Mercury News and KTVU reported that Irving told investigators he thought Beam had used witchcraft him.

The Chronicle reported that law enforcement sources believe Irving was “fixated” on the football coach before he allegedly killed him.

Irving has been charged with murder and the use of a firearm, prosecutors said. If convicted of murder, he faces 50 years to life in prison. It is not immediately clear if Irving has entered a plea.

“On behalf of the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, and my personal family, I wish to express our deepest condolences to Coach John Beam’s family,” District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said. “Coach Beam represents the best of Oakland. Just as Coach Beam’s love for community has been felt for decades, so will his loss.”

Beam’s team at Laney was featured on the 2020 season of the Netflix docuseries Last Chance U.

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Around Oakland, Beam was known as a mentor figure, with many city officials praising his legacy in the community.

“Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland – a mentor, an educator, and a lifeline for thousands of young people,” Mayor Barbara Lee said in a statement following the shooting. “For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family.”

Police said Beam died a day after he was shot in the head on Thursday, Nov. 13. The shooting was targeted, according to law enforcement.

“This was a very targeted incident,” Oakland Police Assistant Chief James Beere claimed. “I will say Coach Beam, although they did not have a close relationship, was open to helping everybody in our community and this is not uncommon for him to have a relationship with someone that he would think needs help.”