Aug. 31 (UPI) — San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest Saturday afternoon in an attempted robbery in the city’s Union Square, police said.
The 17-year-old suspect and Pearsall were taken to San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco police said in a news release. San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin’s office told NBC Bay Area that Pearsall was in stable condition and that his injuries were not life-threatening.
The 49ers in a statement said that Pearsall “sustained a bullet wound to his chest and is in serious but stable condition. … Our thoughts and prayers are with Ricky and the entire Pearsall family.”
The suspect attempted to rob Pearsall, which led to a physical altercation, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
Officers responded at 3:37 p.m.
The boy, a resident of Tracy, California, was taken into police custody after attempting to “run away,” San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said at a news conference.
The suspect will charged in juvenile court, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said at the news conference.
Scott said it appears the suspect was acting alone, and there is no indication Pearsall was targeted because he is a football player.
Pearsall was able to talk to police.
The 49ers drafted Pearsall, 6-foot-1 and 189 pounds, with the 31st overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft in April.
At the University of Florida last season, he caught 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. In 2022, he transferred to Florida from Arizona State, where he played from 2019-21.
He was born in Phoenix.
Pearsall returned to action Monday after missing three weeks with a subluxation of his left shoulder.
The 49ers play their first game of the season against the New York Jets on Sept. 9.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed called the attempted robbery “a terrible and rare incident in Union Square.”
“We have had extra officers in Union Square for quite some time, and we will continue to do that,” Scott said. “Usually, when things like this happen, people get anxiety, and we want to make sure that the public knows that we’re there for them. So, we will increase that deployment.”
“It’s a large open area where tourists and locals gather, watch cable cars and crowds go by, enjoy a snack, or plan their day of shopping and sightseeing,” according to Tripadvisor. “If feeling the pulsating energy of the city is on your agenda, Union Square is the place to soak it in.”
