A high school senior charged with the attempted murder of San Francisco 49ers player Ricky Pearsall has expressed remorse for the incident, according to his attorney. The 17-year-old boy is facing multiple charges, including assault with a semi-automatic firearm and attempted robbery, after allegedly shooting Pearsall in an attempted robbery in San Francisco’s Union Square on Saturday.
Pearsall, a first-round draft pick, was shot in the chest during the encounter but managed to fight off his attacker. He is expected to miss the first four games of the season due to his injuries. The alleged shooter has been remanded into custody by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Roger Chan, despite a recommendation from the boy’s probation officer that he be transferred to his home county of San Joaquin where another matter is pending.
The incident occurred when the teenager allegedly tried to steal Pearsall’s Rolex watch. Despite resisting the robbery attempt, one bullet struck the NFL player and another hit the suspect during the struggle. The rookie was quickly arrested as he tried to flee the busy street on foot.
Both Pearsall and the alleged shooter were taken to a hospital for treatment, where the rookie was listed in “serious but stable condition.” Pearsall is currently placed on the reserve/non-football injury list and will be eligible to return for the team’s fifth game against the Cardinals on October 6.
Pearsall was selected with the 49ers’ first-round pick in June’s draft, where he was chosen as the No. 31 overall pick. He played three years at Arizona State and two at Florida during his collegiate career.
