49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall released from hospital after being shot in the chest in San Francisco robbery attempt

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon after he was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco on Saturday, authorities and the team said.

“San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was released from the hospital this afternoon as he continues to recover from a bullet wound to his chest,” the 49ers said in an update Sunday afternoon.

In a statement Saturday, the 49ers said Pearsall “sustained a bullet wound to his chest and is in serious but stable condition.” Police said at an evening news conference that Pearsall was talking after he was struck.

Mayor London Breed said on X that the attack took place in the Union Square community in the center of downtown. Police identified the suspect only as a 17-year-old boy.

“SFPD was on scene immediately and an arrest of the shooter was made,” Breed said, referring to the San Francisco Police Department.Erin Pearsall, Pearsall’s mother, said her son is “in good spirits right now” in a private Facebook post obtained by NBC News.

“He is extremely lucky, GOD shielded him,” she said, referring to her son. “He was shot in the chest and it exited out his back. Thanks be to GOD it missed his vital organs.”

“Life is so precious my friends. Please love eachother,” Erin Pearsall continued. “My son was spared today by the grace of GOD. Please pray for my baby.”

Pearsall’s agent and representatives for the NFL did not immediately respond to requests for information Saturday night.

In a statement, police said officers responded to a report of a shooting at Geary Street and Grant Avenue in the heart of the Union Square community about 3:37 p.m. and found two people who had been injured after an altercation.

Police Chief Bill Scott said at the news conference that the suspect approached Pearsall — 23, a rookie drafted whom the 49ers drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft — and tried to commit an armed robbery. “A struggle ensues, and gunfire from the suspect’s gun struck Mr. Pearsall and the suspect,” Scott said.

At least two rounds were fired, he said.

Scott said the suspect is a 17-year-old boy from the farming town of Tracy, a little more than 60 miles east of San Francisco.

Both Pearsall and the teen were hospitalized, Scott said. San Francisco County Supervisor Aaron Peskin said earlier on X that Pearsall had been stabilized at a hospital.

Officers found the suspect in the area as he fled, and the gun he is accused of using was recovered, Scott said.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the teen would be charged in juvenile court.

Breed said at the news conference: “This was a terrible and rare incident in Union Square, and our thoughts are with Ricky Pearsall and his family. He has a bright future, and I look forward to seeing him recover and get back on the field.”

Likewise, the 49ers said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with Ricky and the entire Pearsall family.”

Crime and homelessness in San Francisco have become paramount topics in local politics.

Peskin, the county supervisor, is challenging Breed for mayor. He has supported tough-on-crime stances, including arresting drug dealers, while also pushing for treatment of users and approaching crime as a societywide issue rather than as a problem only police can solve.

Breed said violence like Saturday’s “will not be tolerated.” Scott said extra police have been assigned to Union Square for some time.

Pearsall has not played this preseason because of hamstring and shoulder injuries.