A 17-year-old accused of shooting San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall in the chest is now facing several charges, including attempted murder, according to an announcement made by San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins on Tuesday.
The minor, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, is being charged with personal discharge of a firearm, personal and intentional discharge of a firearm, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and second-degree attempted robbery. These charges stem from an incident in Union Square last Saturday, where Pearsall was shot in an alleged attempt to steal his Rolex watch.
Pearsall was initially reported to be in “serious but stable condition” by his team, but he was released from the hospital the next day. Fortunately, the bullet missed all vital organs, as confirmed by Pearsall’s mother. San Francisco 49ers General Manager John Lynch expressed optimism on Tuesday, saying the team is confident Pearsall will be able to play this season.
The suspect is expected to be arraigned at San Francisco’s Youth Guidance Center on Wednesday. The charges will be filed in juvenile court, but whether he will be tried as an adult remains to be seen. DA Jenkins explained the legal process during a press conference, saying:
“The only mechanism for that is to request a transfer hearing which requires that a judge rule on the minor’s fitness to be transferred to adult court, which essentially means the juvenile system would not be equipped to rehabilitate that minor. So going forward, my office will review the case more closely to determine whether or not we will seek that fitness hearing”, told NBC.
If the case remains in juvenile court, the suspect could face imprisonment until age 25. However, an adult conviction for attempted murder could lead to a much longer sentence. Jenkins refrained from providing additional details, citing the suspect’s status as a minor:
“At this time, because we are dealing with a minor, 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 was shot just over a week before he was scheduled to make his NFL debut with the 49ers. The team placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list on Monday, which will keep him out for at least the first four games of the season. Pearsall, who was selected 31st overall by the Niners in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Florida, could make his debut in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals on October 6.