San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall wasn’t the only one shot during Saturday’s botched robbery in Union Square.
Authorities said the attempted robbery failed when the 17-year-old suspect was shot from his own gun during a struggle with Pearsall, who refused to surrender.
‘[Pearsall] “I didn’t want to do it,” an anonymous police chief told Board of Supervisors Chairman Aaron Peskin, who relayed the quote to reporters.
The suspect suffered a hand or arm injury and is in stable condition at San Francisco General Hospital, police said. Pearsall suffered a chest injury and is in serious but stable condition at the same facility.
There is currently no indication that Pearsall was targeted because he is an NFL player. KTXL’s Sean Cunningham reported that officers said the robber was after Pearsall’s Rolex, but Police Chief Bill Scott declined to confirm what the suspect was trying to steal.
Pearsall moved slowly during the footage, which was shot from across the street. He didn’t appear overly upset.
According to police, the 17-year-old suspect was shot from his gun during his struggle with Pearsall
We have a good idea [but] “We’re not ready to release that at this point,” Scott told reporters outside the hospital, as quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle.
The team said in a statement that Pearsall “suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and is in serious but stable condition.”
Mayor London Breed called the shooting a “horrific and rare incident in Union Square.”
Breed called the incident a “setback” for an area where crime actually fell in 2024.
“Sometimes the data goes out the window when something like this happens,” Breed said, as quoted by the Chronicle.
San Francisco has been plagued by shootings for years, though Breed boasted in April that violent crime was down 14 percent compared to the same period in 2023. According to City Hall, gun violence was down 38 percent in the first quarter of 2024.
During the pandemic, violent crime in San Francisco has skyrocketed, with 56 and 48 murders in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Chronicle reporters saw five shell casings at the crime scene, where Pearsall was reportedly shopping moments earlier.
A witness told the Chronicle that blood was streaming down Pearsall’s left arm.
“It was a terrifying situation,” the witness, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Chronicle.
Pearsall was actually seen walking away after the shooting on Saturday.
As seen in a video shared by KTVU’s Zak Sos on X, the injured Pearsall was carried by emergency workers to a waiting ambulance, where he was placed on a stretcher. Pearsall moved slowly during the footage, which was shot from across the street. He didn’t appear overly distressed, but he did cover his chest area.
KGO-TV’s Dion Lim reported that Pearsall signed autographs at Cow Palace before heading downtown to shop at Union Square. Lim’s sources say he was at a high-end designer store just before he was shot.
Mayor London Breed speaks with other officials after the Pearsall shooting
Pearsall was reportedly shopping at a nearby upscale department store before he was shot
Police officers secure the area and investigate the scene of a shooting in Union Square
Blood and a shell casing are seen as evidence as police officers secure the area
As seen in a video shared by KTVU’s Zak Sos on X, the injured Pearsall was carried by emergency workers to a waiting ambulance, where he was placed on a stretcher
Pearsall was performing well during training camp before suffering his shoulder injury.
Starting receiver Brandon Aiyuk had to sit out until this week, but the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Pearsall impressed coaches and teammates with his craftsmanship.
“I don’t like to compliment rookies, but I like his game,” cornerback Isaac Yiadom said in early August, as quoted by the Associated Press. “I think he’s got some confidence, too. He’s got some grit in him, so he knows it. He knows he’s pretty good. I just hope he keeps working. That’s what I like about him. He just goes to work. He just keeps his mouth shut and he just goes to work.”
Coach Kyle Shannahan’s offense has a reputation for being tough on young players, especially receivers, but Pearsall seemed to understand the system.
“I think I’ve made some big strides since I’ve been here,” Pearsall said. “It was a little tough at first. Coming into an offense like this, it’s a complex thing, there’s a lot to it. Trying to learn everything in one day is impossible. So I told myself I could do that over and over and over again, how to get better and know the playbook.”