San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was recently shot. His mother is now speaking out about the incident, providing an update on what happened.
NFL star Ricky Pearsall, 23, was seriously wounded after getting shot during an attempted robbery. Now that the young sports talent is recovering, his doting mother, Erin Pearsall, has shared an update on social media.
Ricky Pearsall posing for a picture, posted on June 18, 2024 | Source: Instagram/ricky.pearsall
According to CBS News, the 23-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to his chest during the incident, which his team, the San Francisco 49ers, confirmed to the news outlet on Sunday, September 1.
Ricky Pearsall | Source: Instagram/ricky.pearsall
The San Francisco 49ers also shared a statement on behalf of themselves, Ricky, and his family concerning the incident.
In their message, they extended heartfelt gratitude to the San Francisco Police Department and all the medical personnel at San Francisco General Hospital, who were involved in tending to Ricky while he was in the medical facility before being released.
Explaining what happened when Ricky was shot, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott gave a news briefing on Saturday evening, August 31.
He stated that Ricky told him he had been walking about a block away from Union Square (in San Francisco) around 3:30 p.m. local time when an armed suspect attempted to rob him.
This then led to a physical altercation between the two. “The struggle between Mr. Pearsall and the suspect ensued, and gunfire from the suspect’s gun struck both Mr. Pearsall and the subject,” divulged the police chief.
While the armed robber had attempted to evade police custody, authorities were successful in capturing him. According to police, the suspect is a 17-year-old male from Tracy, North Carolina. Like Ricky, the young assailant was also taken to the hospital after the incident.
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott speaking during the launch of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in San Francisco, California on October 24, 2023 | Source: Getty Images
Following Chief William’s briefing, Ricky’s mom, Erin, took to social media to update the public on the matter. She started by thanking God for protecting her son in the situation and then went on to explain that the bullet that entered Ricky’s chest came out of his back, luckily missing his vital organs.
“He is in good spirits right now. Life is so precious my friends. Please love [each other]. My son was spared today by the grace of GOD 🙏. Please pray for my baby 🙏❤️,” read the end of Erin’s statement.
Before Ricky was severely injured by the gunshot, the football star was spotted at the San Francisco Card Show. A video posted by the 49ers tailgate’s account, made in collaboration with someone named Santos Hernandez, showed Ricky seated at a table where he signed autographs and interacted with fans.
Footage depicted two excited fans conversing with Ricky, who was dressed in a black t-shirt vest that showed off the tattoos on his left arm.
Ricky Pearsall interacting with fans while signing autographs for them, posted on September 1, 2024 | Source: Instagram/49ers_tailgate and empiresportsusa1
As the two wrapped up their exchange with the professional footballer, the person recording the video zoomed out to show the extensive queue of people eager to have their one-on-one moment with Ricky.
The long queue of people waiting to meet Ricky Pearsall, posted on September 1, 2024 | Source: Instagram/49ers_tailgate and empiresportsusa1
The videographer then turned the camera back to Ricky to show him signing something else for another fan with a marker. After doing so, Ricky then looked up at the fan with a wide smile before the fan extended his hand out for Ricky to shake.
Ricky Pearsall and a fan. | Source: Instagram/49ers_tailgate and empiresportsusa1
Ricky then signed a miniature sculpture of a football helmet for another admirer who was holding an adorable baby. Upon seeing the baby boy, Ricky smiled and started to talk to him before humorously attempting to give the baby a fist bump.
Ricky Pearsall and a baby boy. | Source: Instagram/49ers_tailgate and empiresportsusa1
The mother of the child then took a sweet picture of the baby and Ricky, who motioned to the baby to look at the camera for the picture before flashing a smile.
Video footage continued to show Ricky signing even more objects, like helmets and footballs, and pictures for fans. Additionally, he took time to pose for photos for those who requested one. The star also shared more sweet moments of interaction with his younger fans.