Oakland reels at the murder of ‘Last Chance U’ coach John Beam

OAKLAND — The thin young man appeared oblivious to the thick mist raining down on him on the edge of the Laney College campus Thursday morning. His bloodshot, watery eyes suggested he had been crying as he stood in front of a shrine of votive candles, posters, pennants and heartfelt notes, all left for John Beam, a beloved football coach who led generations of young players in Oakland.

There’s been a lot of grieving since another young man walked into Laney’s athletic offices and shot Beam in the head for no apparent reason. The San Francisco Chronicle reported the 27-year-old suspect — who was acquainted with Beam but had not played for him — told investigators he was convinced Beam had somehow used “witchcraft” on him.

Beam, 66, died a day after the attack in Oakland, where for more than four decades he coached, first at Skyline High School and then at Laney, a community college near Lake Merritt.

Many stories following his death focused on the fact that about 20 of his players went on to play in the National Football League. But what made Beam stand out in this city of occasional triumph and routine tribulation was his heart. He devoted himself to young people who often didn’t have the money, family support or academic resources of kids who got into four-year colleges. While so many other people seemed to abandon Oakland, Beam stayed.

“The reason you are seeing this overwhelming response and all this sadness is that he was more than a coach,” said Frank Williams, an Oakland native who became a showrunner in Hollywood. “He was like a surrogate father, especially for a lot of young men and women who didn’t have a parent in the home. He put his life and his heart on the line for that city.”

Beam loomed large in the city of 440,000 and in college football for years but became known to the wider world in 2020, when Netflix released the fifth season of “Last Chance U,” the documentary series that focused that year on the Laney College football team a year after it won a state championship.

The series delved deeply into the struggles of mostly Black and brown players, who often came from poverty and broken homes. One of Laney’s stars worked at a fast-food chicken joint and slept in his SUV every night. The show also spent considerable time with players who had endured family violence and/or had children while barely out of childhood themselves.

Beam emerged as one of the heroes, with his blend of profane competitiveness and avuncular goodwill. One moment he screams obscenities at a player for missing an assignment; the next he urges his hyper-masculine charges to allow themselves to be vulnerable. The coach preached that asking for help was not a weakness but “a power move.”

A hat is part of a memorial at Laney College, where John Beam was fatally shot.

(Florence Middleton)

This week it was hard to find a corner of the Laney campus not occupied by a beefed-up security force, which one guard said had been increased from 30 to 40.

Just two months ago Essential California reported how crime in Oakland had dipped, noting cautious optimism among some residents. This week the Laney College community despaired at how violence had, nonetheless, invaded the campus and the modern steel-and-glass athletic office building that overlooks the football field.

Beam retired as football coach last year but remained on as athletic director. NFL players he mentored came to a massive tribute along with doctors and laborers and others who credited the coach with helping them find their best selves.

Romeo Garcia befriended Beam years ago when both were working with young people in Oakland. Garcia went on to become a fundraiser for Laney and its sister campuses in the Peralta Community College District.

“John continued to do good in Oakland, no matter what,” Garcia said Thursday. “What I would ask people to do is to continue to do that good. You can’t give up on the city when it needs you the most.”

Today’s top stories

After a day of working in the fields, this 17-year-old relaxes by rows of strawberries in the Salinas Valley, renowned as the “Salad Bowl of the World.”

(Barbara Davidson/Capital & Main)

Unsafe conditions and fear threaten California child farmworkers

• California’s child farmworkers, who legally can start working at age 12, are exhausted, underpaid and toiling in toxic fields.
• Most are reluctant to complain about the conditions for fear of being deported.
• Lax oversight and few inspections in these top agricultural counties have left them exposed to toxic pesticides.

The Hollywood fight over Warner Bros.

• Warner Bros. is up for sale and Paramount, Comcast and Netflix are expected to submit proposals for all or parts of the company.
• These nonbinding bids mark the first phase of the auction that could put some of the best-known brands in entertainment, including HBO, CNN and Warner Bros. film and television studios, up for sale.

More rainfall hits Los Angeles

• There’s been flooding and a tornado. There’s even the risk of a ‘semi-wet Santa Ana’ before the storms finally leave L.A.
• The showers that could last until Saturday morning but will trail off heading into Thanksgiving week.
• The rain could bring an early end to fire season.

New findings on the January wildfires

• A report shows that the Eaton fire marched toward west Altadena hours before officials said it did.
• Even a full reservoir wouldn’t have ensured water in Palisades fire, California officials say

Mental health in L.A.’s Thai community

• Stigma and limited resources have made access to mental healthcare difficult for L.A.’s Thai community.
• Thai restaurant owners, Buddhist monks, social workers and others shared how they seek support for mental health issues.
• Asian massage therapists are especially vulnerable to racialized and gendered violence, with many incidents going unreported because of cultural barriers.
• Here are six mental healthcare recommendations for and by the Thai community in L.A.

Trouble in tech

• As some tech stocks decline this month, investors fear the AI boom could be waiting to bust.
• A former Google chief has been accused of spying on employees.

More big stories

• Hundreds of Joshua trees were scorched during the shutdown
• Authorities said she overdosed. Her parents spent millions in pursuit of murder charges.
• Trump faces a ticking clock on healthcare costs as New Year’s Day — when healthcare premium costs will skyrocket — fast approaches.
• Smashed windows, threats and $800 a month: a witness details L.A. County gang extortion.
• Kratom was linked to six L.A. deaths and banned in the county, but the supplement’s actual health risks remain a mystery.
• Kevin Spacey says he has “no home” and his financial situation is “not great.”
• Housing Tracker: Southern California home values rose slightly in October.

Commentary and opinions

• UCLA is choosing money over tradition by trying to ditch the iconic Rose Bowl, columnist Bill Plaschke argues.
• The Koreatown memorial honoring RFK’s legacy is a neglected mess, columnist Steve Lopez writes.
• Trump and the Saudi crown prince are able to bond over their contempt for — and fear of — a free press, news and culture critic Lorraine Ali writes.
• “Quiet, piggy” wasn’t a joke. It’s a dangerous invitation to violence, columnist Anita Chabria writes.

This morning’s must reads

Books

She’s the internet’s sexual historian. Her book will give you dinner party fodder for days

Mindy Seu’s latest work, ‘A Sexual History of the Internet,’ is a participatory lecture that intersects with a 700-page book revealing the pervasive and often-uncredited sexual roots of technology.

Nov. 20, 2025

Other great reads

• This L.A. woman was jailed as a WWII traitor. How a pair of perjuries ensnared ‘Tokyo Rose.’
• This SoCal nursery goes beyond the norm by growing thousands of poinsettias in colors to match any decor.
• One of L.A.’s most subversive chefs wants everyone to have a warm Thanksgiving meal.
• “The Great Escaper” is a moving story about remembrance featuring the late Glenda Jackson.

For your downtime

The northern lights, or aurora, as seen earlier this month from Angeles Forest Highway in Angeles National Forest.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

• Outdoors: Chase the northern lights in L.A. by following these tips.
• Movies: Experience the chocolate factory in all its glory with an immersive showing of “Willy Wonka” at the Cosm.
• Events: Eat and drink your way along CicLAvia’s “One Last Ride” on Melrose Avenue.

Staying in

• Television: Jog your memory of “Stranger Things” before diving into Season 5.
• Holiday shopping: Join the craze and shop these extravagant food-focused advent calendars.
• Recipe: Choose your apple-topping adventure with this Apple Crisp, Cobbler Or Crumble.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

And finally ... the photo of the day

Megan Weinraub sits in her Volkswagen T2 bus known affectionally as Azul. The VW appeared in photos of the aftermath of the Palisades fire in January.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Today’s great photo is from Times staff photographer Robert Gauthier of Megan Weinraub in her Volkswagen T2 bus, Azul, which survived the January Palisades fire and has become a community symbol of hope.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
June Hsu, editorial fellow
Andrew Campa, weekend reporter
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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