Teen Charged With Attempted Murder of NFL Player

Shooting took place during alleged attempted robbery in San Francisco
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 4, 2024 1:00 AM CDT
Teen Charged With Attempted Murder of NFL Player
Blood and a shell casing is seen tagged as evidence as police officers secure the area and investigate the scene of a shooting at Union Square in San Francisco, Aug. 31, 2024. San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot Saturday during an attempted robbery, the city's mayor said.   (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

The teen accused of shooting a San Francisco 49ers rookie has been charged with attempted murder. The 17-year-old boy allegedly attempted to rob wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in San Francisco's Union Square Saturday afternoon, and during an ensuing physical altercation, Pearsall was shot in the chest. The boy, who will be tried in juvenile court, was also charged with attempted second-degree robbery and assault with a semi-automatic firearm, CNN reports. He will be arraigned Wednesday. Pearsall, 23, will miss at least the first four games of this season with the NFL as he recovers, but he's already seen his relieved teammates in person this week, ABC 7 reports. He was released from the hospital Sunday. His mother says the bullet exited her son's body through his back, and missed vital organs, and the team's general manager says his condition is "miraculous."

Police say the suspect appeared to be acting alone, and that there is no indication Pearsall was targeted due to his status as a professional football player. San Francisco Mayor London Breed called the shooting "a terrible and rare incident in Union Square," a popular tourist area that has had an increased police presence in recent years. "This incident does set us back from all of the hard work that we've done in order to make significant changes in public safety in San Francisco," Breed added. (More San Francisco stories.)

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