Hundreds of people gathered Friday night in the East Bay to celebrate the life of legendary Oakland football coach John Beam.

The East Bay icon was shot at Laney College last month, eventually dying from the gunshot injuries the following day.

Organizers at the event say the large turnout represented beam’s impact both on and off the football field.

“Everybody is still in shock. We felt like we needed a time to all come together collectively get together and love on one another, and embrace on each other during this hard time,” said Felicia Carr, a Skyline High alumni.

Beam coached at the high school for decades, winning 15 league titles.

But the stories being shared during the event went beyond the gridiron with former players sharing lessons learned both on and off the field, that t

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