The bullet that pierced 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall’s chest “exited out his back” and “missed his vital organs,” his mother wrote in a post on Facebook.
Pearsall was shot Saturday afternoon during an attempted robbery, and the 17-year-old suspect is in custody, police said.
The suspect reportedly was trying to take Pearsall’s Rolex watch at gunpoint.
“First and far most I want to thank God for protecting my baby boy,” Erin Pearsall wrote, as shared by The Athletic. “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.”
The 49ers released a statement late Saturday night that Pearsall is in “serious but stable condition.”
San Francisco police said that Pearsall was walking alone in the Union Square area of the city when the suspect approached.
Both men were shot during a physical altercation.
“He is in good spirits right now,” Erin wrote. “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.”
Pearsall reportedly was walking back from an autograph signing at the time of the shooting.
NFL rules require that players have this final weekend before the regular season begins free from mandated team responsibilities.
San Francisco police chief William Scott said that there was “no indication” that the suspect had targeted Pearsall because he is a NFL player.
There was one gun involved with multiple shots fired and it was recovered at the scene, police added.
“Thankfully, our hard-working officers made a swift arrest in this case and we will do everything within our power to ensure justice is served,” Scott said in a statement.
Pearsall was the No. 31 in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, joining a receiver corps headlined by Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
