The 49ers' first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall was shot during an attempted robbery in San Francisco's Union Square on Saturday.
San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin's office confirmed to NBC Bay Area that Pearsall, 23, was shot but is in stable condition without any life-threatening injuries. Peskin said both Pearsall and the suspected robber were shot, and that the suspect was shot with his own gun before being taken into custody.
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On Saturday evening, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott, San Francisco mayor London Breed and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins held a press conference outside the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, where Pearsall is being treated, to provide updates on the incident.
Scott told reporters the suspect in the shooting has been identified as a 17-year-old male from Tracy, Calif. Officers believe the juvenile was acting alone, and when asked by NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco if Pearsall was targeted because of his status as an NFL player, Scott said there is no indication that is the case.
"At this point, we believe that this was an attempted robbery, and we're pretty confident about that," Scott told Maiocco.
While the investigation is ongoing, Scott shared video footage from the area is being pulled and that Pearsall was able to speak with officers after the shooting to give a statement about what happened. SFPD has deployed extra officers at Union Square for quite some time, Scott said, but that deployment will increase in light of the shooting.
San Francisco 49ers
Breed told reporters that the shooting isn't typical for the Union Square area.
"This was a terrible and rare incident in Union Square, and our thoughts are with Ricky Pearsall and his family," Breed said. "He has a bright future, and I look forward to seeing him recover and get back on the field. ...
"I'm also grateful for the quick action of our police officers, who immediately, within a minute, responded to the situation, apprehended the suspect. Their work ensures that people know that if they come to San Francisco to commit crime, they will be arrested."
At the hospital, Maiocco reported 49ers general manager/president of football operations John Lynch was on scene.
49ers general manager John Lynch is at San Francisco General Hospital for Ricky Pearsall, who is listed in stable condition after sustaining a bullet wound to his chest.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) September 1, 2024
The 49ers released a statement which confirmed Pearsall was shot in the chest.
"San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was the victim of an attempted robbery and shooting this afternoon," the statement reads. "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."
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 1, 2024
The SFPD released a statement on the shooting shortly after it occurred, with SFPD director of strategic communications Evan Sernoffsky noting, "This kind of violence is unacceptable in our city."
Scott said he was "extremely shocked and saddened" by the shooting in a statement of his own, posted before the press conference, while applauding officers for their quick capture of the suspect.
Fellow 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel posted an apparent update on his teammate shortly after the news broke.
Pearsall, the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, participated in just six of 19 training camp practices and couldn't play in any of the 49ers’ three preseason games because of hamstring and shoulder injuries. The shoulder injury sidelined him for 20 days.
