Ricky Pearsall, the San Francisco 49ers’ first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, was shot during an attempted robbery at San Francisco’s Union Square on Saturday, per a statement from San Francisco police.
Pearsall is reportedly in stable condition and the suspect is in custody. On Sunday morning, his mother Erin Pearsall posted on Facebook that he was shot through the chest, but that the bullet did not hit any vital organs.
Ricky Pearsall’s mom, Erin, posted on Facebook that the bullet entered Pearsall’s chest and exited his back without hitting any vital organs pic.twitter.com/YXKUY4m8I3
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 1, 2024
After the shooting, Pearsall was seen walking to the ambulance while covering a chest wound in a video posted by a KTVU reporter on social media.
The Niners released a statement on Saturday confirming Pearsall was the victim of an alleged attempted robbery and describing his condition as “serious but stable” after a bullet wound to the chest:
“He sustained a bullet wound to his chest and is in serious but stable condition. We ask that you please respect his privacy at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ricky and the entire Pearsall family.”
Police told KTXL’s Sean Cunningham that Pearsall was shot after a struggle for the gun with a suspect, who was allegedly attempting to steal a Rolex watch while Pearsall was going to a signing event. The suspect was also reportedly shot through the chest and is currently stable at San Francisco General Hospital, where Pearsall is being treated.
San Francisco mayor London Breed and chief of police William Scott both posted statements confirming and reacting to the news, which comes at a time when San Francisco crime is a contentious issue (year-to-date data currently shows robbery to be down 22%).
Scott later revealed in a news conference the suspect is a 17-year-old male from Tracy, Calif. who is believed to have been alone. San Francisco district attorney Brooke Jenkins said the state will have his charges filed in juvenile court “at this time.”
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott: “There is no indication that he (Pearsall) was targeted because he’s a football player. At this point, we believe that this was an attempted robbery and we’re pretty confident about that.”
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) September 1, 2024
Ricky Pearsall starred at Florida before Niners draft selection
The Niners selected Pearsall with the 31st overall pick of the draft, adding him to a wide receiver room that already included All-Pros Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Soon after the shooting was reported, Samuel tweeted that Pearsall is “good.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White, who played with Pearsall at Arizona State, also posted a response expressing shock.
Pearsall played at Arizona State and Florida in his college career, with 965 receiving yards and six total touchdowns in his final season with the Gators. He was mostly seen as a second-round prospect entering the draft, but was well-regarded for his route running and soft hands as a slot receiver.
Injuries had so far limited Pearsall’s first NFL training camp, spending time on the reserve/non-football injury list with a hamstring injury and working through a shoulder injury after his activation. It’s unclear how much time he will to miss due to his gunshot wound.
