San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot Saturday afternoon in an attempted robbery in the Union Square area, San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s office confirmed.
The 49ers confirmed that Pearsall had sustained “a bullet wound to his chest” and was in “serious but stable condition.”
Pearsall and the suspect – a 17-year-old who is in custody with charges pending – were injured in a physical altercation that succeeded the attempted robbery, San Francisco Police said. Both were taken to San Francisco General Hospital.
A decision on charges for the suspect – which would be filed in juvenile court – is expected to come Tuesday or Wednesday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told reporters on Saturday night. San Francisco Police chief William Scott said there was no reason to believe Pearsall was targeted in the incident as a professional football player.
Earlier in the day, Pearsall attended an autograph signing at the Cow Palace in nearby Daly City.
This afternoon, there was an attempted robbery in Union Square involving San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and he was shot.
SFPD was on scene immediately and an arrest of the shooter was made.
My thoughts are with Ricky and his family at this time.
We will…
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) September 1, 2024
The 49ers drafted Pearsall with the 31st overall pick in the first round of April’s NFL draft. Pearsall excelled at the University of Florida last season, catching 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns. In 2022, he transferred to Florida from Arizona State, where he played from 2019-21.
Pearsall missed three weeks of practice in August with a subluxation of his left shoulder, but he returned to action on Monday.
Though Pearsall’s selection by a team that already boasts star targets in Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel surprised many, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said the team saw a receiver who could aid the offense in both the short and long term.
“He just plays the position really well,” Shanahan said in May. “Whether he was outside, inside, either receiver, all three of the positions, he can separate down the field, he can separate underneath. He’s got really good hands, extremely smart, very well-developed. … He can fit in whatever role based off the other guys.”
Contributing: Casey Moore
