Man Accused Of Killing John Beam Charged With Murder

OAKLAND, CA — The man accused of killing beloved football coach and Laney College Athletic Director John Beam has been charged with murder, prosecutors said.

Cedric Ali Irving, 27, also faces aggravating factors, including personally and intentionally discharging a firearm, causing great bodily injury, being armed or using a weapon in the commission of a crime, that the victim was vulnerable during the crime and engaging in violent conduct that indicates a serious danger to society, according to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

Irving is accused of shooting and killing Beam, 66, at Laney College on Thursday. Beam was taken to a hospital after the shooting and died the following day.

Irving was not a student at Laney College, but authorities previously said they did know each other.

The 27-year-old apparently told investigators last week that he thought Beam had been using witchcraft on him and others, an anonymous source told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Oakland Police Department Police Assistant Chief James Beere said that police reviewed camera footage from Laney College, as well as nearby residences, businesses and bus videos to track the suspect’s movements through different neighborhoods.

At around 3:15 a.m. a sheriff’s deputy said he recognized Irving at the San Leandro BART station from the bus video footage, which led to his arrest, police said.

Investigators found the weapon used in the shooting and confirmed it matched the evidence from the scene, police said.

Irving, who was known to loiter around the campus, played football at Skyline High School but not when Beam was a coach there, police said.

Irving is due in court on Tuesday for arraignment, according to prosecutors.

Beam was a fixture in the Oakland community and was featured in the Netflix series "Last Chance U."

Following his death, many of Beam's former players spoke about their experience being mentored by Beam.

Damon Owens played for Beam in high school, describing the experience as a life-changing opportunity, according to a report by NBC News.

“Most young people, all they need is a chance, and they also need a support structure around it, around the potential,” Owens told NBC News. “He saw potential in me that I didn’t see myself, but he also surrounded us with the necessary support in order to galvanize that potential and grow it.”

Oakland native and NBA All-Star Damian Lillard described Beam in a social media post as a "true Oakland legend."

"Hundreds of kids all over Oakland became the type of men they are today because of this dude and for someone from that exact world to randomly come and take his life just ain’t right," Lillard said in the post. "...this ain’t the Oakland I grew up in."