Mark Farrell, who is running for mayor of San Francisco, attacked incumbent London Breed after 49ers wide receiver Ryan Pearsall was shot near downtown on Saturday.
Farrell, the former mayor pro tem who is running for office again this fall, took to X to hint at his zero-tolerance approach to crime in The Bay, as he believes Pearsall would not have experienced a near-death situation under his watch.
He wrote: ‘Our city has suffered a tragic series of shootings: a Galileo High School student was shot while Breed was partying in Chicago, a young woman at Crocker-Amazon was shot with life-threatening injuries, and now 49ers first-round draft pick Pearsall was shot during an attempted robbery in Union Square.
“Enough is enough. If we want public safety in San Francisco, we need changes at City Hall.”
A juvenile suspect is in custody for allegedly shooting Pearsall, who was released from San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center on Sunday, according to a team statement. His condition was stable.
San Francisco mayoral candidate Mark Farrell has said: “Enough is enough.”
A juvenile suspect is in custody after allegedly shooting 49ers WR Ryan Pearsall (seen) on Saturday.
Pearsall was walking alone carrying shopping bags to his car shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday when a suspect attempted to rob him with a gun on Geary Boulevard, police said.
“A struggle ensued between Mr. Pearsall and the suspect and shots from the suspect’s weapon struck both Mr. Pearsall and the subject,” San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said during a news conference.
Officers in the area responded immediately and provided emergency medical aid and arrested the suspect.
Police identified the suspect as a 17-year-old male from Tracy, California, about 60 miles east of San Francisco, who was also taken to San Francisco General Hospital. His condition was not immediately released.
Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots. A gun believed to belong to the suspect was recovered and investigators believe he acted alone, Scott said.
Pearsall and the 17-year-old confronted each other in Union Square, near the city center.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has vowed to crack down on juvenile offenders.
A video recorded by a witness showed Pearsall, shirtless and with a large wound to his chest, being helped into an ambulance, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Breed said he was confident in the district attorney’s actions in prosecuting the case.
“This is how we hold people accountable in San Francisco. Robberies and any type of violence like this will not be tolerated in our city,” Breed said during the briefing, expressing gratitude to hospital staff, police and emergency services, including San Francisco Fire Department personnel.
“This was a terrible and unusual incident in Union Square and our thoughts are with Ricky Pearsall and his family. He has a bright future and I look forward to seeing him recover and get back on the field,” Breed said.
Pearsall was selected in the first round in April by the 49ers with the 31st overall pick, but injuries have slowed him since joining the team.
The 49ers selected 23-year-old Ricky Pearsall in the first round (31st overall) of the 2024 NFL draft.
He missed time during training camp with hamstring and shoulder issues before returning to practice last week in a blue non-contact jersey while his shoulder heals.
Pearsall began his college career at Arizona State and transferred to Florida for his final two seasons. He had 65 receptions for 965 yards and four touchdowns last season for the Gators and finished his college career with 159 receptions for 2,420 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The Niners had hoped Pearsall could contribute as a rookie, backing up starters Brandon Aiyuk and Samuel.