SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco 49er Ricky Pearsall, 23, was shot and wounded in an attempted robbery in Union Square on Saturday afternoon around 3:30 p.m., the San Francisco Police Department confirmed. 

First reported as a traumatic injury by the San Francisco Fire Department, the shooting required the assistance of fire crews near Geary and Grant streets.

Police say officers arrived at the scene and found two men suffering from injuries. Both men were taken to a local hospital for an evaluation. 

The police investigation determined that one man, referred to as the suspect, attempted to rob Pearsall, referred to as the victim, when a fight ensued. 

The suspect is now in custody, and charges are pending, police said. He was not identified by police, but they did confirm the suspect is a 17-year-old.  A source confirms to KTVU that Pearsall was shot in the chest. He is now in “serious but stable” condition. 

Video from the scene shows Pearsall walking while assisted by police, with a wound in the center of his chest. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact SFPD at 415-575-4444. 

A press conference was held at San Francisco General Hospital to share updates on the investigation. 

“This will not be tolerated in our city,” Mayor London Breed said during the press conference. 

The police say there is no indication that Pearsall was targeted because he was a football player. SFPD Chief Bill Scott says the department has not yet confirmed what the suspect was trying to steal from Pearsall when the robbery occurred. 

The chief says only one firearm was used in the robbery. Police believe the gun belongs to the suspect, and it has been recovered. The chief also confirmed that the suspect is a minor. 

Mayor Breed went on to say this incident is a setback when looking at the hard work put into public safety efforts in San Francisco. 

“My hope is that we can demonstrate that this is an isolated incident, one where our officers acted swiftly, and the things that we put into place and how they were designed led to an arrest and will lead to accountability…We hope that people who think that they can come to San Francisco and commit these acts understand that they will be held to account,” Breed said. 

Pearsall was a first-round draft pick for the 49ers, but he has been unable to play in preseason games because he suffered a shoulder injury. Pearsall only recently started practicing with his team after recovering from the injury. 

SANTA CLARA, CA – JULY 31: Ricky Pearsall #14 of the San Francisco 49ers during training camp at SAP Performance Facility on July 31, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

Citizen video from the scene shows police tape on the corner, along with a small crowd of onlookers. 

Tweets began to pour out on X. Players with the team as well as several local leaders took to Twitter to say they are grateful Pearsall is ok. 

San Francisco Mayor London Breed also took to X to confirm the arrest of the suspect in the shooting. 

Mark Farrell, who previously served as SF’s interim Mayor and is now running for the office, took to X to criticize his opponent in response to the shooting. 

“Our city has suffered from a tragic series of gun shootings: a Galileo high student shot while Breed partied in Chicago, a young girl in Crocker-Amazon with life-threatening wounds, and now 49ers first round draft pick Ricky Pearsall struck with gunfire during an attempted robbery in Union Square. Enough is enough. If we want public safety in San Francisco, then we need change in City Hall,” he wrote. 

KTVU crime reporter Henry Lee contributed to this report.