San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall was released from hospital Sunday after being shot during an attempted robbery, the team confirmed.
Pearsall, 23, who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in April’s NFL Draft, was shot in the chest during an attempted mugging in San Francisco’s Union Square and was said to be in stable but serious condition.
The franchise revealed Sunday – just 24 hours after the terrifying incident occurred – that the wide receiver had been released from San Francisco General Hospital and will continue his recovery at home.
‘San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was released from the hospital this afternoon as he continues to recover from a bullet wound to his chest,’ the team announced in a statement Sunday afternoon.
‘He and his family, along with the entire San Francisco 49ers organization, would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department, emergency medical services, doctors and staff at San Francisco General Hospital.’
San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall was released from hospital Sunday after being shot
It is unclear how long the young wideout will be sidelined for as he continues to recover from the bullet wound.
Last August, then Washington Commanders rookie Brian Robinson Jr. was the victim of gunshot wounds to his leg and hip, when he was shot while leaving a restaurant in the Near Northeast neighborhood of Washington DC.
The Alabama native completed a remarkable comeback in October to play against the Tennessee Titans, just six weeks after being shot twice in the attempted carjacking.
Earlier on Sunday, the Arizona native’s mom, Erin, shared an update on her son’s condition, revealing that he had been shot in the chest and the bullet exited out of his back thankfully missing any vital organs.
Police say Pearsall was targeted over his Rolex watch after shopping at a high-end department store in the area.
A 17-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene and is now in custody, according to authorities.
The attempted robbery backfired when the suspect took a bullet from his own gun during his struggle with Pearsall, who refused to surrender, authorities said.
The suspect was wounded in the hand or arm and was said to be in stable condition at San Francisco General Hospital, while awaiting pending charges, police said. It is currently unclear if he has also been discharged and is now in police custody.
Pearsall was treated at the same facility.
The wideout (pictured with girlfriend Victoria Moraga) was treated at San Francisco General
He was shot in the chest during an attempted mugging in San Francisco’s Union Square
Pearsall’s mother, Erin (right), provided an update on her son’s condition on Sunday
Chronicle reporters saw five shell casings at the scene, where Pearsall had reportedly been shopping moments earlier.
One witness told the Chronicle that Pearsall had blood streaming down his left arm.
‘It was a scary situation,’ the witness, who asked not to be identified, told the Chronicle.
Pearsall was actually seen walking away from Saturday’s shooting.
As seen in a video shared on X by KTVU’s Zak Sos, the wounded Pearsall was led by emergency responders to a waiting ambulance, where he was placed on a stretcher. Pearsall was moving slowly during the footage, which was shot from the opposite side of the street. He did not appear to be overly distressed but was covering his chest area.
KGO-TV’s Dion Lim reported that Pearsall was signing autographs at Cow Palace before going downtown to Union Square for some shopping. Lim’s sources say he was at a high-end designer store moments before being shot.
Police released a statement late Saturday night describing 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,’ read the statement provided to DailyMail.com. ‘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.
Pearsall was moving slowly during the footage, which was shot from the opposite side of the street. He did not appear to be overly distressed
As seen in a video shared on X by KTVU’s Zak Sos, the wounded Pearsall was led by emergency responders to a waiting ambulance, where he was placed on a stretcher
Blood and a shell casing is seen tagged as evidence as police officers secure the area
Police officers secure the area and investigate the scene of a shooting at Union Square
Pearsall was reportedly shopping at a high-end department store in the area before being shot
‘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.’
Mayor London Breed called the shooting a ‘terrible and rare incident in Union Square.’
Breed referred to the incident as a ‘setback’ for an area that has seen crime drop in 2024.
‘The data goes out the window sometimes when something happens like this,’ Breed said, as quoted by the Chronicle.
San Francisco has been plagued by shootings for years, although Breed boasted in April that violent crime was down 14 percent compared with the same time frame in 2023. Specifically, gun violence was down 38 percent over 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.
