Laney College locked down Thursday after athletic director John Beam was shot; a day earlier, a Skyline High student was wounded.
OAKLAND, Calif. — For the second time in as many days, an Oakland campus went into lockdown after gunfire wounded a member of its community. Police said Laney College athletic director John Beam was shot late Thursday morning inside the school’s field house, one day after a separate shooting injured a student at Skyline High School.
The quick succession jolted students, teachers and parents already on edge as classes resumed after Veterans Day. At Laney, officers cleared buildings and lifted the lockdown within hours, saying there was no continuing threat. The Peralta Community College District confirmed a senior athletics staffer had been hospitalized. City leaders called the incidents “devastating” and pledged visible patrols at schools while detectives pursued both cases.
At Laney, police said the shooting occurred just before noon inside the field house off East 8th Street, a complex that houses team facilities. A man in dark clothing ran from the building. First responders took Beam to Highland Hospital in critical condition. On Wednesday, at Skyline High, a student was shot on campus and was later reported in stable condition. Police said they arrested two juveniles and recovered two guns in that case, which they are investigating separately.
District officials issued an emergency alert describing a possible active shooter at Laney, then narrowed the warning after police determined it was a targeted attack. The campus reopened later Thursday with extra security, the district said. Students described huddling inside classrooms as officers swept hallways. Faculty union leaders said they were pressing for clearer alert protocols, door hardware checks and additional staffing for evening classes as the fall term heads toward finals.
Laney College sits just south of Lake Merritt and a mile from downtown BART stations, a location that funnels commuters, athletes and visitors past the field house throughout the day. Beam, 66, is a well-known mentor whose work appeared in the Netflix series “Last Chance U.” The city has wrestled with intermittent campus safety incidents over the past several years; Thursday’s shooting revived those debates, with student government and parent groups requesting public briefings on readiness drills and camera coverage.
Investigators have not announced a motive in the Laney case. Police said they are building a detailed timeline and expect to release new information after key interviews and forensic work. The district said counseling would remain available at both campuses. Beam stayed in critical condition Friday morning. A police update is expected later today.
As the city processes two campus shootings in two days, officials plan to outline temporary safety steps and longer-term proposals at briefings later today and early next week.
Author note: Last updated November 14, 2025.