Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers’ first-round draft pick this past spring, reportedly was shot in a robbery attempt Saturday afternoon near San Francisco’s Union Square, Mayor London Breed confirmed on X/Twitter.
Pearsall is in stable condition, NBC Bay Area reported.
“He’s good. Thank god!!!!” 49ers teammate Deebo Samuel posted on X/Twitter, adding emojis reflecting a prayer and crossed fingers.
San Francisco police were on the scene immediately and the shooter was arrested, Breed added.
The San Francisco Fire Department was called to deal with a traumatic injury at 3:38 P.M. near Union Square and found two gunshot victims near Geary and Grand Streets, a spokesman told KTVU’s Sal Castaneda, who added that both victims were taken to a local hospital, one in critical condition and one in stable condition. Pearsall’s Rolex watch was targeted in the attempted robbery, Castaneda added, citing multiple sources.
Earlier Saturday, Pearsall signed autographs at a card show at San Francisco’s Cow Palace.
Neither the San Francisco Police Department nor the 49ers immediately returned messages left by this news organization.
So far this year in San Francisco, the police department reports 1,400 robberies, down 21% from the same period last year.
Pearsall, 23, is a Phoenix, Arizona native who is entering his first NFL season after playing collegiately at Florida the past two seasons and Arizona State the prior three years.
A shoulder injury has kept Pearsall from practicing the past 3 1/2 weeks, after an offseason hamstring injury delayed his entry into training camp by a week. His left shoulder has a history of partial dislocations dating back to his junior year in college, and he aggravated it in spring practices as well as on Aug. 6.
He’s done conditioning drills on the side as the 49ers prepare for their regular-season opener Sept. 9 against the New York Jets at Levi’s Stadium.
