An arrest was made Friday morning in the fatal shooting of former football coach and current athletic director John Beam at Laney College in Oakland, according to Oakland police.
Authorities arrested Cedric Irving Jr., 27, in connection with Beam’s shooting.
Assistant Oakland police Chief James Beere said Irving did know Beam, but they did not have a relationship.
“This was a very targeted incident, and I will say that Coach Beam, although they did not have a close relationship, was open to helping everybody in our community,” Beere said.
Irving played football at Skyline High School but not when Beam was a coach there.
“In this case, I can just tell you that the individual that was arrested went specifically to the campus for a specific reason,” Beere said.
The suspect’s brother said Irving practiced with the Laney football team at some point but was never formally on the team.
Irving is known to “loiter” on and around the Laney campus, Beere said.
Police said technology helped them identify Irving and track him down at the San Leandro BART station early Friday morning. He was arrested without incident, and a gun was recovered.
The shooting occurred just before noon Thursday, sending Beam to the hospital in critical condition, authorities said. He died Friday morning.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee released a statement Friday morning addressing the arrest.
“I’m grateful to the Oakland Police Department and our dedicated law enforcement partners for their swift work in making an arrest in the shooting of Coach Beam. This arrest is a testament to the effective collaboration and dedication of our law enforcement community,” Lee said in the statement.
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