A shooting at Laney College today left a senior member of the school’s athletic program staff wounded and in the hospital, classes canceled, dozens of police on scene, and a suspect at large.
According to the Oakland Police Deaprtment, just before noon, a person was shot on the Oakland community college campus. The suspected shooter fled on foot and has not been located. The police identified the suspect as a man wearing a black hooded sweater.
OPD officers responded to the campus as if it were an active shooting and secured the school grounds. The FBI also responded to the campus, and a spokesperson for the bureau said they’re prepared to offer assistance to OPD.
Immediately after the shooting, the victim was transported to a nearby hospital.
Several violence interruptors working with Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention also showed up at the school to try to defuse any tensions.
According to several media reports, the victim is Laney College Athletic Director John Beam.
In an email sent to Peralta Community College District staff and students, Mark Johnson, spokesperson for the district, said the victim was a “senior member of our athletic staff.”
“The individual was immediately transported to a local hospital, and we are keeping them — and their loved ones — in our hearts during this incredibly difficult time,” Johnson wrote. “Out of respect for their privacy, we are not releasing their name at this moment.”
According to an email from the Oakland Unified School District, students from 10 high schools were on a “college and career exploration” field trip at Laney at the time of the shooting and subsequent lockdown.
“As soon as they learned of the lockdown, OUSD chaperones moved our students to a safe location where they sheltered in place,” the email read. “The lockdown lasted about 45 minutes before Oakland Police gave the all-clear.”
Laney College’s football program and Beam were featured in the fifth season of Netflix’s “Last Chance U,” a documentary about the Eagles’ struggles and successes.
Beam was the football coach at Skyline High School for several years, starting in 1982. During his tenure as head coach, starting in 1987, the team won 15 league championships and went undefeated in league play for the entire decade of the 1990s. He became head football coach at Laney in 2012, and in that role led the team to two league titles.
Police secured Laney’s athletics facilities, where the shooting took place, on Nov. 13, 2025. Credit: Roselyn Romero/The Oaklandside
The shooting comes the day after a student was shot at Skyline High School. According to police, the student was wounded and treated at a hospital. Two other students were arrested, and two guns were seized.
Mayor Barbara Lee issued the following statement: “I am heartbroken by today’s shooting at Laney College – the second shooting on an Oakland campus in one week. OPD is investigating this incident. We must continue confronting the ongoing gun violence crisis that is robbing our community of safety and stealing futures. This is a moment for our community to come together and address this violence with urgency.”
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
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