OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Last week, Oakland’s new mayor found herself consoling the friends and family of a beloved community college football coach who was shot on campus.

The day after her visit, Barbara Lee sat with The Associated Press for an hour at her downtown Oakland office. A veteran state legislator and federal congresswoman but city leader of only six months, Lee discussed both her city’s struggle with violent crime and its rich culture and deep sense of community.

Then, as the interview came to a close, she got the news she’d been dreading: 66-year-old football Coach John Beam — who’d taught thousands — had died the day after he was shot by a 27-year-old man whose public defense attorney said he was mentally ill.

Lee’s face fell and a clearly devastated leader struggled to fin

See Full Page