According to a statement from San Francisco police, Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers’ first-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, was shot during an attempted robbery at Union Square in San Francisco.
The suspect is in jail, and Pearsall’s health is said to be stable. He was shot in the arm or the chest, according to differing reports at first, but police eventually told the San Francisco Chronicle that it was the chest that was hit.
Following a bullet wound to the chest, the Niners issued a statement saying Pearsall was the victim of an alleged attempted robbery and characterizing his condition as “critical but stable”:
“He was shot in the chest, leaving him with a serious but stable wound. At this point, we kindly ask that you respect his privacy. Ricky and the whole Pearsall family are in our hearts and prayers.”
Sean Cunningham of KTXL was informed by police that Pearsall was shot following a gunfight with a suspect who was purportedly trying to take a Rolex watch while Pearsall was attending a signing ceremony. At San Francisco General Hospital, where Pearsall is receiving treatment, the suspect was allegedly shot through the chest as well. He is currently in a stable condition.
Officials responding to the revelation, which comes at a time when San Francisco crime is a sensitive topic (year-to-date statistics currently indicates robbery to be down 22%), include chief of police William Scott and mayor London Breed.
Scott subsequently said at a press conference that the suspect is a male 17-year-old from Tracy, California, who is thought to have been by himself. According to San Francisco district attorney Brooke Jenkins, the state will “at this time” pursue its charges in juvenile court.
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Prior to being selected in the Niners draft, Ricky Pearsall excelled at Florida.
With the 31st overall pick in the draft, the Niners added Pearsall to their group of wide receivers, who already featured All-Pros Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Samuel said on Twitter that Pearsall is “fine” shortly after the incident was made public.
A shocked remark was also made by Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White, who was a teammate of Pearsall at Arizona State.
During his collegiate career, Pearsall attended Arizona State and Florida. In his final season with the Gators, he recorded 965 receiving yards and six touchdowns overall. Despite going into the draft generally considered as a second-round talent, he was highly valued for his route running and soft hands as a slot receiver.
Pearsall’s first NFL training camp has been hampered by injuries thus far. He had to recover from a shoulder issue that occurred after his activation and spent time on the reserve/non-football injury list due to a hamstring injury. How much time he will miss as a result of his gunshot wound is unknown.
