Ricky Pearsall was on his way home in San Francisco when a young man approached him and tried to rob him. Suddenly a shot rang out – the football pro barely survived.
According to his NFL team, American football professional Ricky Pearsall of the San Francisco 49ers was shot during an attempted robbery. The 23-year-old is in a serious but stable condition, the 49ers said. Pearsall has a gunshot wound to the chest.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed wrote on X that the shooter had been arrested. Her thoughts were with Pearsall and his family. Teammate Deebo Samuel wrote on social media: “He's OK. Thank God!!!!”
The 49ers player was in downtown San Francisco on Saturday afternoon, where he was holding an autograph session with fans of the club. He was then heading home when a 17-year-old approached him near Union Square and tried to rob him. The two got into an argument, the alleged perpetrator pulled out a gun and fired, according to US media reports.
Pearsall was selected by the 49ers in the first round of the draft in April. The teams from the National Football League secure the rights to young talents. The wide receiver returned to training this week after injury problems. The regular season in the NFL starts next week.
