SAN FRANCISCO — Former Corona del Sol High School and ASU wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was injured in a shooting in San Francisco on Saturday.
The shooting happened during an attempted robbery in San Francisco's Union Square shopping district and that a suspect has been taken into custody. That suspect has been identified as a 17-year-old boy from Tracy, California. Police did not give his name as he is a juvenile.
Pearsall, who now plays for the San Francisco 49ers, is in serious condition at a San Francisco hospital but has been stabilized, according to the team.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed confirmed the shooting, saying in a statement, "This afternoon, there was an attempted robbery in Union Square involving San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and he was shot. (The San Francisco Police Department) was on scene immediately and an arrest of the shooter was made. My thoughts are with Ricky and his family at this time. We will provide more updates, including on his condition, as I receive them."
12News journalist Jonathan McCall spoke with San Francisco police, who told him Pearsall was headed to sign autographs in Union Square when the attempted robbery took place.
Pearsall and the robber struggled over a gun and both ended up being shot. Pearsall was shot in the arm and the robbery suspect was shot in the chest, according to police. A statement from the 49ers said Pearsall was shot in the chest. 12News is working to find out more information on this.
Pearsall was alert and speaking with police at San Francisco General Hospital on Saturday. The suspect is in critical condition, but has been stabilized.
San Francisco police released a statement on X, which reads:
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. 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.
During the preliminary investigation, officers learned on 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. All information is preliminary, and more information will be provided as it becomes available.
San Francisco officials also held a press conference about the shooting, which can be seen in its entirely below.
Pearsall's 49ers teammate Deebo Samuel gave an encouraging update on Pearsall, posting on X, "He's good. Thank god!!!!"
Pearsall starred at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, playing varsity football for three years. He set an AIA 6A conference record as a junior in 2017 when he had 342 receiving yards in a game against Gilbert.
Pearsall began his college career just a few miles up the road from Corona del Sol, playing for Arizona State for three seasons. During his time with the Sun Devils, Pearsall caught 61 passes for 794 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran the ball 10 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns.
Pearsall transferred to Florida after the 2021 season and played two seasons with the Gators, developing into one of the top receivers in the nation.
He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft but missed the entire preseason with a shoulder injury. The 49ers open their season on Sept. 9 against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.
No word has been released on how severe Pearsall's injuries are. The 49ers have not yet commented on the shooting.
This is a developing story and more details will be added as they are made available.
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