San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall was seen walking away from Saturday’s shooting after a failed robbery attempt in Union Square.
As seen in a video shared on X by KTVU’s Zak Sos, emergency responders carried an injured Pearsall to a waiting ambulance, where he was placed on a stretcher. Pearsall was moving slowly during the footage, which was filmed from the opposite side of the street. He did not appear to be in too much distress.
The 23-year-old receiver is now in stable condition and a suspect is in custody, according to Mayor London Breed.
KGO-TV’s Dion Lim reports that Pearsall was signing autographs at the Cow Palace before heading downtown to Union Square to do some shopping. Lim’s sources say he was at a high-end designer store moments before he was shot. The first-round pick is said to have been targeted for his Rolex watch.
The 23-year-old Arizona native is a week away from his first NFL game against the New York Jets on Sept. 9, though his status for that contest was already clouded by a shoulder injury. Pearsall was selected 31st overall in April’s NFL Draft after playing collegiately at Arizona State and Florida.
Police officers secure the area and investigate the scene of a shooting in Union Square
San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall was shot during a robbery in the city’s Union Square, according to KGO-TV.
Blood and a bullet casing labeled as evidence are seen as police officers secure the area.
Police officers secure the area and investigate the scene of a shooting in Union Square
Spokespeople for the San Francisco police and the 49ers did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s requests for comment.
However, Pearsall’s teammate and fellow receiver Deebo Samuel shared a positive update online.
“It’s okay,” Samuel announced. “Thank God!”
Breed has since released a statement regarding the shooting.
“This afternoon, there was an attempted robbery in Union Square involving San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall being shot,” Breed said in his statement. “The San Francisco Police Department arrived on scene immediately and the arrest of the shooter was made.
“My thoughts are with Ricky and his family at this time. We will provide further updates, including on his condition, as we receive them.”
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins also issued a statement after the shooting.
“Violent crime has no place in our city and I will continue to work closely with the San Francisco Police Department and law enforcement to make our city a safer place,” Brooke said.
“I want to thank the San Francisco Police Department for making an immediate arrest,” Brooke continued. “When the case is presented to my office, we will move quickly to review all evidence and make appropriate charging decisions. We cannot and will not tolerate senseless crime in San Francisco, and my office will ensure that there is accountability.”
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. Specifically, gun violence was down 38 percent during the first quarter of 2024, according to City Hall.
The shooting reportedly took place on Geary Street (pictured), near Union Square.
Violent crime had skyrocketed in San Francisco during the pandemic, with 56 and 48 homicides in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Pearsall had performed well in training camp before his shoulder injuries.
With starting receiver Brandon Aiyuk waiting until this week, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Pearsall impressed coaches and teammates with his grace.
“I don’t like to praise rookies too much, 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 determination, so he knows that. He knows he’s pretty good. I just hope he keeps working. That’s what I like about him. He just gets to work. He just shuts up and gets to work.”
Coach Kyle Shannahan’s offense is notoriously difficult for young players, especially receivers, but Pearsall seemed to understand the scheme.
“I think I’ve made big strides since I got here,” Pearsall said. “At first, yeah, it was a little bit difficult. Coming into an offense like this is so complex, there’s so much to do. Trying to learn it all in one day is impossible. So I just kept telling myself over and over and every day how I could get better and know the playbook.”