San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has been released from the hospital after being shot in the chest during an attempted robbery Saturday afternoon, according to a team statement. San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said the suspect, a 17-year-old man, has been arrested. The suspect’s name has not been released because he is a juvenile.
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
According to a statement from San Francisco Police, officers received a report of a shooting and, upon arrival, located two men with injuries. Officers learned that one of the two men was Pearsall, who was the victim of an armed robbery attempt. The suspect is also in stable condition, according to Scott.
There was a physical altercation, and both men were injured. Scott said, “Gunfire from the suspect’s gun struck both Mr. Pearsall and the subject.”
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins expects the charging decision to be made Tuesday or Wednesday. She said, “At this time, those charges will be filed in the juvenile court as we continue to review the evidence to figure out where we go from there.”
Scott said there was no indication that Pearsall was targeted because he was a football player. He said, at this time, the suspect was working alone, but the police still had to review video evidence.
Scott said Pearsall was talking with police, but they would need to confirm details with him.
Erin Pearsall, Ricky’s mother, posted on Facebook that her son was extremely lucky and is in good spirits now. She said he was shot in the chest, and it exited out of his back without hitting any vital organs.
Sunday afternoon, the 49ers released a statement to say that Pearsall had been released from the hospital “as he continues to recover from a bullet wound to his chest.”
Ricky Pearsall has been released from the hospital. pic.twitter.com/wHP8jHNksY
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 1, 2024
Pearsall, a 6’1″ playmaker, was selected with the 31st overall pick in April out of Florida, where he transferred after playing three seasons at Arizona State.
The 49ers thought highly enough of his potential to address a position of strength with their only pick inside the top 60, and he looked the part of a future building block at camp during the offseason. However, he missed most of training camp because of an injured shoulder.
San Francisco is looking to win three straight divisional titles for the first time since the mid-1990s, and Pearsall is expected to play a role in that alongside Deebo Samuel Sr. and the recently re-signed Brandon Aiyuk.
We will be tracking this story as it develops. The 49ers begin the 2024 season when they host the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football.”