Ricky Pearsall’s 49ers Squad Breaks Silence On Shooting Incident

Ricky Pearsall was shot in an attempted robbery last Saturday, August 31, in San Francisco’s Union Square. A 17-year-old has been charged with three felonies related to the incident, including attempted murder.

Following the arraignment, the teen’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Bob Dunlap, told reporters that the suspect was “very sorry” for the shooting of 49ersrookie Pearsall.

Just five days after being shot in the chest in downtown San Francisco, 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall was spotted back on the sidelines, watching his team practice on Thursday.

The 49ers rookie receiver was discharged from San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center the following day, according to a social media update from his mother, Erin Pearsall, last Sunday. Coach Kyle Shanahan told ESPN on Thursday that the bullet entered and exited Pearsall’s chest “about 2 inches” away from a tattoo of praying hands on his right side.

Currently, Pearsall is on the reserve/non-football injury list, requiring him to miss a minimum of four weeks, but general manager John Lynch said Pearsall is, in fact, expected to play this season.

"He's as tough a person I know, just going through a situation like that," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "We always felt this way watching him on the football field and things like that. But kind of to watch how he handled that situation and watch how he's been every day since; it shows how special of a guy he is."

"It was really tough," Shanahan said of receiving the initial news. "We just knew that he got shot. And that was all we knew. And then it took us about an hour to figure out what the hospital was and things like that, because we just made a couple calls to people, so we had it from them. But none of us knew where he was or anything."

About 40 minutes after the initial call, Shanahan received an update that Pearsall was conscious, talking, and expected to survive. This was later confirmed when Pearsall himself reached out to Shanahan via FaceTime.

"That was like the first time I knew he was all right," he said, per ESPN. "It was really amazing. Because that hour when you hear about a shooting, we didn't know where it was or anything, so you just assume the worst. Then to hear it was in the chest, you don't think that usually goes that well. Then actually to talk to him like 15 minutes after that, and just talk to a guy that seems like he's okay."

Shortly after the shooting was reported, wide receiver Deebo Samuel took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to reassure fans that Pearsall is "good."

"Thank God that he's even alive with us today," linebacker Fred Warner said. "That was an insane situation. So happy that he's back here around the building with us."

Pearsall was shot during an attempted robbery where the assailant tried to steal his Rolex watch. The bullet passed through his chest and exited his back, narrowly missing vital organs.

Remarkably, he was discharged from the hospital less than 24 hours after the shooting.

The teen from Tracy, California, faces charges including attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic weapon, and attempted second-degree robbery. On Wednesday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins added additional gun-related charges.

"He’s genuinely very sorry that this did happen, as is his family, and I can say on their behalf, as well as on my own behalf, our thoughts go out to the Pearsall family and Mr. Pearsall himself. So there is genuine, genuine remorse in that regard," Deputy Public Defender Bob Dunlap said, per Fox News. "He is a young boy."

It remains unclear whether the teen will be charged as an adult. Jenkins’ office stated that more time is needed for investigation and plans to petition the court to transfer the case to adult court if feasible.

Under California law, prosecutors require judicial approval to charge a minor as an adult.