SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A 17-year-old boy who allegedly shot San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall in Union Square was charged with attempted murder on Tuesday, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told reporters.
Jenkins said she charged the boy as a juvenile and he will remain within the juvenile justice court system.
The teenager is facing three charges: attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and robbery. The boy, who lives in Tracy, Calif., has not been named by officials because he is a minor. He will be arraigned on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in San Francisco’s Juvenile Justice Center.
“Because we are dealing with a minor, there is very little I can share. I am not going to share any facts (of the case). This case will be tried like all other cases, in the courtroom, not in the press,” Jenkins told reporters.
Police said the boy shot Pearsall in the chest during a failed robbery attempt. The shooting happened in broad daylight Saturday afternoon. According to 49ers general manager John Lynch, Pearsall was in the city for an autograph signing event and shopping.
The NFL football player apparently fought back. “During the attempted robbery, a physical altercation ensued, and both the suspect and victim were injured,” a San Francisco Police Department spokesperson wrote.
An SFPD sergeant rushed to help Pearsall and slow down bleeding from his chest until an ambulance arrived.
Officers immediately arrested the boy, according to Mayor London Breed. A large crowd gathered in the area of the shooting. One witness in the crowd shot video showing the shirtless 49ers player walking to an ambulance with help from medics. Pearsall and the teenager were transported to hospitals for medical treatment.
Lynch said when he received a call on Saturday that his player had been shot, he feared the worst.
“It’s not every day you deal with something like this. The earliest calls that I received were extremely scary. Shot in the chest … that outcome is not usually a good one,” Lynch said. “I was able to be down at the hospital. I heard it from so many down there, it’s nothing short of miraculous that he came out of this as good as he did. It’s miraculous.”
Pearsall’s mother said the bullet entered her son’s chest, missed all of his vital organs, and exited through his back. She wrote on Facebook. “I want to thank GOD for protecting my baby boy. He is extremely lucky. He was shot in the chest and it exited out his back.”
Pearsall was released from San Francisco General Hospital just 24 hours after he was shot.
The 49ers placed its rookie on the team’s reserve/non-football injury list on Monday, which makes Pearsall ineligible for the first four games of the 2024 NFL season. The earliest the 2024 first-round pick can play in is Week 5 at home against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 6, depending on how quickly his recovery goes.
Lynch said, “He was disappointed, but understood that we put him on that list. It’s four weeks, at least. When we drafted Ricky, we did it for the long term. Ricky is going to be a fantastic player here.”
On Tuesday the team held its first practice at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara since the shooting. Pearsall was at the stadium and talked with his teammates about what happened.
Star offensive tackle Trent Williams said the shooting was a factor in Williams’ decision to return to the team and sign a new contract. “To be real, I felt more compelled to come back after that than anything… be there for the team,” Williams said.
SFPD Chief Bill Scott said his officers have found no evidence that suggests Pearsall was targeted because he is an NFL player.
Breed called the shooting “a terrible and rare incident in Union Square.” Jenkins, the city’s top prosecutor, said, “We will not tolerate senseless crime in SF and we will ensure that there is accountability.
All minors who are convicted within California’s juvenile court system — including attempted murder convictions — are released from custody when they turn 25 years old. “They are released back into the public with no supervision at that point. Jail time is not an option for a minor. They will not be transferred over to the county jail,” District Attorney Jenkins explained.
Jenkins said her office will work closely with the football player and his family as the case develops.
