San Francisco 49ers’ Ricky Pearsall stable after being shot during attempted robbery

A juvenile suspect is in custody after the incident in central San Francisco

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot on Saturday during an attempted robbery in the city, authorities said.
A juvenile suspect is in custody after allegedly shooting the NFL player in the chest. Pearsall, 23, is in stable condition at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
Pearsall was walking alone shortly after 3.30pm when a suspect attempted to rob him with a gun on Geary Boulevard in the Union Square area.
“A struggle between Mr Pearsall and the suspect ensued and gunfire from the suspect’s gun struck both Mr Pearsall and the subject,” San Francisco police chief Bill Scott said during a news briefing on Saturday.
Officers in the area responded immediately and provided emergency medical aid and arrested the suspect.
Police identified the suspect as a 17-year-old male resident of Tracy, California, about 63 miles (101km) east of San Francisco. He was also transported to San Francisco General, although his condition was not immediately disclosed.
A gun allegedly belonging to the suspect was recovered and investigators believe he acted alone, Scott said.
“This kind of violence is simply unacceptable in our city and we will do everything in our power to work with district attorney Brooke Jenkins to ensure that justice is served in this matter,” Scott said.
Jenkins told reporters at the briefing that her office expects to make a charging decision by Tuesday or Wednesday and initially will file any charges in the juvenile court system.
Scott said there was no indication Pearsall was targeted because he is a player for the city’s football team.
The 49ers issued a statement earlier saying Pearsall was hit by a bullet in the chest and gave his condition as serious but stable.
“We ask that you please respect his privacy at this time,” the team said, adding: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Ricky and the entire Pearsall family.”
Mayor London Breed said she was confident in the district attorney’s actions to prosecute the case.
“This is how we hold people accountable in San Francisco. Robberies and any violence like this will not be tolerated in our city,” Breed said during the briefing, offering her gratitude to the hospital staff, police and first responders including San Francisco fire department personnel.
“This was a terrible and rare incident in Union Square and our thoughts are with Ricky Pearsall and his family. He has a bright future and I look forward to seeing him recover and get back on the field,” Breed added.
Pearsall was drafted in the first round in April by the 49ers with the 31st overall pick but has been slowed by injuries since joining the team.
He missed time during training camp because of hamstring and shoulder issues before returning to practice this past week with a non-contact blue jersey while his shoulder heals.
Pearsall began his college career at Arizona State and transferred to Florida for his final two seasons. He had 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns last season for the Gators and finished his college career with 159 catches for 2,420 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The Niners hoped rookie Pearsall could contribute as a back-up to starters Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.