A teenager has been charged with the attempted murder and robbery of San Francisco 49ers player Ricky Pearsall, who was shot on Saturday.
The 17-year-old, whose case will be heard in a juvenile court, was arrested near the scene of the incident in San Francisco’s Union Square.
Pearsall, 23, was pictured shirtless at the scene after taking a bullet wound to the chest. He was taken to hospital and released the following day.
The wide receiver is expected to miss the first several games of his debut season for the 49ers, but the NFL team’s general manager said it was “nothing short of miraculous” his injuries were not worse.
John Lynch told reporters on Tuesday his player was doing “remarkably well” in the situation.
Pearsall had been signing autographs at an event before heading to the square where the incident occurred, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
He was targeted for his “expensive watch”, the newspaper quoted police as saying. A struggle ensued, during which Pearsall was shot.
The footage shared online showed the footballer being walked to an ambulance by paramedics and sitting on a gurney as he held a shirt to his chest.
In the aftermath, his mother wrote on social media to suggest Pearsall had been “shot in the chest and (the bullet) exited out his back”. She added: “Thanks be to GOD it missed his vital organs.”
Police said the suspect, too, was injured. Their current condition has not been disclosed. They have not been named due to their age.
They were charged with attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm and attempted second-degree robbery, said San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
The teenager is expected to appear in court on Wednesday. Prosecutors will seek to have them held in custody, Ms Jenkins said.
Ms Jenkins said she would retain the option to ask the judge to transfer the case to an adult court if it was deemed the juvenile system was “not equipped” to rehabilitate the alleged offender.
Pearsall was a first-round pick by the 49ers in April’s NFL draft – when the best college players are chosen to join the league.
By Max Winters Published: 23:35 BST, 20 September 2024 | Updated: 00:03 BST, 21 September 2024
Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterSep 20, 2024, 05:59 PM ETCloseNick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ES
The NFL is nothing if not unpredictable. After all, two weeks into the 2024 campaign, w
East Carolina defensive back Shavon Revel (28), viewed as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, tore his ACL in practice. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/