San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest during a robbery incident in the city’s Union Square and is now in serious-but-stable condition.
A suspect was arrested at the scene and is now in custody, according to authorities.
Police say Pearsall was targeted over his Rolex watch after shopping at a high-end department store in the area.
The 23-year-old Arizona native is one week away from his first NFL game against the New York Jets on September 9, although his status for that contest was already clouded by a shoulder injury. Pearsall was taken with the 31st pick of April’s NFL Draft after playing collegiately at Arizona State and Florida.
‘San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was the victim of an attempted robbery and shooting this afternoon,’ read a team statement. ‘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.’
Pearsall’s teammate and fellow receiver Deebo Samuel shared a more encouraging update.
Mayor London Breed has since released a statement on the shooting.
‘This afternoon, there was an attempted robbery in Union Square involving San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and he was shot,’ Breed said in her statement. ‘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 provide more updates, including on his condition, as I receive them.’
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins praised the officers for the arrest and condemned violent crime in the Bay Area.
‘Violent crime has no place in our city and I will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the San Francisco Police Department and law enforcement to make our city safer,’ Brooke said.
‘I would like to thank the SFPD for making an immediate arrest,’ Brooke continued. ‘When the case is presented to my office we will move expeditiously to review all of the evidence and make appropriate charging decisions. We cannot and will not tolerate senseless crime in San Francisco, and my office will ensure that there is accountability.’
San Francisco has been plagued by shootings for years, although Breed boasted in April that violent crime was down 14 percent compared with the same time frame in 2023. Specifically, gun violence was down 38 percent over the first quarter of 2024, according to City Hall.
Violent crime had skyrocketed in San Francisco during the pandemic, with 56 and 48 homicides in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Pearsall had been performing well in training camp before his shoulder injuries.
With starting receiver Brandon Aiyuk holding out until this week, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Pearsall impressed coaches and teammates with his polish.
‘I don’t like to compliment rookies too much, but I like his game,’ cornerback Isaac Yiadom said in early August, as quoted by the Associated Press. ‘I think he got some confidence, too. He got some dog in him, so he knows it. He knows he’s pretty good. I just hope that he continues to work. That’s the thing I like about him. He just goes to work. He just shuts up and he just goes to work.’
Coach Kyle Shannahan’s offense is notoriously difficult for young players – receivers in particular – but Pearsall appeared to grasping the scheme.
‘I think I’ve took big strides since I’ve got here,’ Pearsall said. ‘In the beginning, yes it was a little difficult. Coming into an offense like this, that’s very complex, there’s a lot to it. Trying to learn it all in one day is impossible. So I just kind of told myself that over and over again and just each day how I can get better and improve and knowing the playbook.’