Ricky Pearsall, a rookie wide receiver with the San Francisco 49ers who started his collegiate career at Arizona State University, was shot in downtown San Francisco during an attempted robbery, according to San Francisco mayor London Breed.
Breed posted the following message on X about the incident:
"This afternoon, there was an attempted robbery in Union Square involving San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and he was shot.
"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."
Pearsall played at ASU from 2019-21 before transferring to Florida in 2022. The 49ers took him with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
He played at Corona Del Sol High in Tempe.
According to ABC 7 San Francisco , Pearsall was in stable condition.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel seemed to confirm the ABC 7 report, posting on X: "He's good. Thank god!!!!" with a fingers crossed emoji and a prayer emoji.
San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin confirmed that the receiver's injuries were not life-threatening.
The 49ers posted a message on X saying that Pearsall "sustained a bullet wound to his chest and is in serious but stable condition."
Breed posted that she was at San Francisco General Hospital to provide updates to the media.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, the shooting occurred a block away from San Francisco's Union Square at the corner of Geary and Grant Streets. Police arrived following a 911 call at 3:37 p.m. in San Francisco.
Pearsall attended an autograph signing at the Cow Palace in nearby Daly City earlier in the day.
According to police, Pearsall and the suspect, identified as a 17 year old who is in custody with charges pending, were injured in a physical altercation after the attempted robbery.
A decision on charges for the suspect – which would be filed in juvenile court – is expected to come Tuesday or Wednesday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told reporters on Saturday night.
San Francisco Police Department statement on Ricky Pearsall incident
The SFPD released the following statement Saturday on the incident:
"On August 31, 2024, at approximately 3:37 p.m., San Francisco Police officers responded to the area of Geary Street and Grant Avenue on a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located two male subjects suffering from injuries. Officers rendered aid and medics transported both subjects to a local hospital for further medical evaluation.
"During the preliminary investigation, officers learned one of the subjects attempted to rob the victim, San Francisco 49ers player Ricky Pearsall. During the attempted robbery, a physical altercation ensued, and both the suspect and victim were injured. The suspect is in custody and charges are pending at this time. All information is preliminary, and more information will be provided as it becomes available. Media availability will be held this evening at San Francisco General Hospital."
USA TODAY Sports' Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz contributed to this story.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com . Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Arizona State football receiver Ricky Pearsall shot in San Francisco
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