San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will miss at least four games to start the 2024 NFL season after a brief hospitalization for a gunshot wound. Now, the 17-year-old teenager arrested for allegedly shooting Pearsall in an attempted robbery has been charged with attempted murder, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced.
The suspect, who police said was caught trying to flee the scene after Saturday's shooting, is also facing charges of personal discharge of a firearm, assault with a semi-automatic firearm and attempted second-degree robbery. The teen allegedly approached Pearsall near Union Square in San Francisco on Saturday afternoon. A physical struggle ensued after the suspect's alleged robbery attempt, per police reports, and both Pearsall and the subject were struck by gunfire.
The 17-year-old is slated to face the charges in juvenile court, though a judge could rule to transfer the case to adult court.
"At this time, because we are dealing with a minor [suspect]," Jenkins told reporters Tuesday, "there is very little that I can share beyond what I have just said with respect to the charges and with respect to how things will move forward."
Pearsall, meanwhile, is in good spirits after avoiding life-threatening injuries from the incident, according to his mother, Erin, and 49ers general manager John Lynch. Both parties have credited "the grace of God" for enabling the first-round draft pick to avoid damage to vital organs despite absorbing gunfire to the chest area.
The rookie wideout was recently placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list, guaranteeing at least a four-game absence while he recovers. He faces what's likely a minimum 6-8-week rehabilitation, per CBS Sports HQ injury expert Marty Jaramillo, though Lynch has said he expects Pearsall to still contribute at some point during his upcoming rookie season.
