San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall wasn’t the only person shot during Saturday’s botched robbery in Union Square.
Authorities say the robbery attempt failed when the 17-year-old suspect was hit by a bullet from his own gun during his struggle with Pearsall, who refused to surrender.
“(Pearsall) didn’t want any part of it,” an unnamed police captain told Board of Supervisors Chairman Aaron Peskin, who relayed that quote to reporters.
The suspect was wounded in the hand or arm and is in stable condition at San Francisco General Hospital, police said. Pearsall was wounded in the chest and is in serious but stable condition at the same hospital.
There is no immediate indication that Pearsall was targeted in the robbery because he is an NFL player. KTXL’s Sean Cunningham reported that officers said the thief was after Pearsall’s Rolex, but Police Chief Bill Scott declined to confirm what the suspect was attempting to steal.
Pearsall moved slowly during the footage, which was filmed from the opposite side of the street. He did not appear to be in too much distress.
Police say the 17-year-old suspect was hit by a bullet from his gun during his fight with Pearsall.
“We have a good idea (but) we’re not ready to release it right now,” Scott told reporters outside the hospital, as quoted by the outlet. Chronicle of San Francisco.
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 “freak and terrible incident in Union Square.”
Breed called the incident a “setback” for an area that has seen crime decline in 2024.
“Sometimes data gets lost when something like this happens,” Breed was quoted as saying 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. Specifically, gun violence was down 38 percent during the first quarter of 2024, according to City Hall.
Violent crime had skyrocketed in San Francisco during the pandemic, with 56 and 48 homicides in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Chronicle reporters saw five shell casings at the location, where Pearsall had reportedly been shopping moments earlier.
A witness told the Chronicle that Pearsall had blood running down his left arm.
“It was a scary situation,” the witness, who asked not to be identified, told the Chronicle.
In fact, Pearsall was seen walking away from the shooting on Saturday.
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 didn’t appear to be in too much distress, but was covering his chest area.
KGO-TV’s Dion Lim reported 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.
Mayor London Breed speaks with other officials following the Pearsall shooting
Pearsall was reportedly shopping at an upscale department store in the area before he was shot.
Police officers secure the area and investigate the scene of a shooting in Union Square
Blood and a bullet casing labeled as evidence are seen as police officers secure the area.
As seen in a video shared on X by KTVU’s Zak Sos, first responders carried the injured Pearsall to a waiting ambulance, where he was placed on a stretcher.
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.”