Ricky Pearsall's mom breaks silence to offer major update on her son after 49ers rookie was shot

The mother of Ricky Pearsall has spoken out after the San Francisco 49ers rookie was shot on Saturday. 

Pearsall, 23, was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco's Union Square and is now in serious-but-stable condition, according to authorities. 

The 17-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene and is now in custody, according to authorities. 

The wideout's mom, Erin, broke her silence Sunday, less than 24 hours after the terrifying incident, to provide an update on her son's condition. 

She revealed the extent of the wide receiver's injuries as she thanked God for his safety.  

'Update on my baby boy,' Erin wrote in a Facebook post, shared by The Athletic's David Lombardi. 

'First and far most I want to thank GOD for protecting my baby boy. He is extremely lucky, GOD shielded him. 

'He was shot in the chest and it exited out his back. Thanks be to GOD it missed 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.'

Police say Pearsall was targeted over his Rolex watch after shopping at a high-end department store in the area.

Authorities say the attempted robbery backfired when the 17-year-old suspect took a bullet from his own gun during his struggle with Pearsall, who refused to surrender. 

The suspect was wounded in the hand or arm and is in stable condition at San Francisco General Hospital as he awaits pending charges, police said. Pearsall was wounded in the chest and is in serious-but-stable condition at the same facility.

Police released a statement late Saturday night describing the incident.

'On August 31, 2024, at approximately 3:37 p.m., San Francisco Police officers responded to the area of Geary Street and Grant Avenue on a report of a shooting,' read the statement provided to DailyMail.com. 'Upon arrival, officers located two male subjects suffering from injuries. Officers rendered aid and medics transported both subjects to a local hospital for further medical evaluation.

'During the preliminary investigation, officers learned one of the subjects attempted to rob the victim, San Francisco 49ers player Ricky Pearsall. During the attempted robbery, a physical altercation ensued, and both the suspect and victim were injured. The suspect is in custody and charges are pending at this time. All information is preliminary, and more information will be provided as it becomes available. Media availability will be held this evening at San Francisco General Hospital.

'This investigation is ongoing and active. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the SFPD Tip line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous.'

Mayor London Breed called the shooting a 'terrible and rare incident in Union Square.'

Breed referred to the incident as a 'setback' for an area that has seen crime drop in 2024.

'The data goes out the window sometimes when something happens like this,' Breed said, as quoted by the Chronicle.

San Francisco has been plagued by shootings for years, although Breed boasted in April that violent crime was down 14 percent compared with the same time frame in 2023. Specifically, gun violence was down 38 percent over the first quarter of 2024, according to City Hall.

Violent crime had skyrocketed in San Francisco during the pandemic, with 56 and 48 homicides in 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Chronicle reporters saw five shell casings at the scene, where Pearsall had reportedly been shopping moments earlier.

One witness told the Chronicle that Pearsall had blood streaming down his left arm.

'It was a scary situation,' the witness, who asked not to be identified, told the Chronicle.

Pearsall was actually seen walking away from Saturday's shooting. 

As seen in a video shared on X by KTVU's Zak Sos, the wounded Pearsall was led by emergency responders to a waiting ambulance, where he was placed on a stretcher. Pearsall was moving slowly during the footage, which was shot from the opposite side of the street. He did not appear to be overly distressed but was covering his chest area. 

KGO-TV's Dion Lim reported that Pearsall was signing autographs at Cow Palace before going downtown to Union Square for some shopping. Lim's sources say he was at a high-end designer store moments before being shot.

Pearsall had been performing well in training camp before his shoulder injuries.

With starting receiver Brandon Aiyuk holding out until this week, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Pearsall impressed coaches and teammates with his polish.

'I don't like to compliment rookies too much, but I like his game,' cornerback Isaac Yiadom said in early August, as quoted by the Associated Press. 'I think he got some confidence, too. He got some dog in him, so he knows it. He knows he's pretty good. I just hope that he continues to work. That's the thing I like about him. He just goes to work. He just shuts up and he just goes to work.'

Coach Kyle Shannahan's offense is notoriously difficult for young players – receivers in particular – but Pearsall appeared to grasping the scheme.

'I think I've took big strides since I've got here,' Pearsall said. 'In the beginning, yes it was a little difficult. Coming into an offense like this, that's very complex, there's a lot to it. Trying to learn it all in one day is impossible. So I just kind of told myself that over and over again and just each day how I can get better and improve and knowing the playbook.'