Teen Allegedly Shot 49ers Rookie Ricky Pearsall for ‘Expensive Watch’: Reports Citing Police

Pearsall was shot in the chest while shopping for luggage on Saturday, Aug. 31, according to 49ers General Manager John Lynch

• San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall was shot during an alleged robbery in which a 17-year-old allegedly wanted to steal his "expensive watch," reports say, citing authorities

• Pearsall was struck on the right side of his chest and is expected to recover

• The alleged assailant is charged with attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and attempted second-degree robbery

San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall had attended an autograph signing and was shopping for luggage when a 17-year-old who allegedly wanted his Rolex held him up, per the San Francisco Chronicle.

Both the wide receiver and the teen were injured in the Union Square incident around 3:30 p.m. local time on Aug. 31, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

Pearsall and the teen, who is charged as a minor, were treated at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

Pearsall – who was struck on the right side of his chest, the bullet exiting his back while missing all vital organs and nerves – is expected to recover and return to the field.

“It's nothing short of miraculous that he came out of this as good as he did,” 49ers General Manager John Lynch said during a Sept. 3 press conference, noting that the rookie has been added to the so-called non-football injury list and will not be playing for “four weeks, at least.”

“When we drafted Ricky, we did it for the long term. And Ricky is going to be a fantastic player here,” Lynch said, adding: “But first and foremost, we're going to make sure that he's all good and ready to go, more than ready by the time we bring him back.”

The 17-year-old, who is charged with attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and attempted second-degree robbery, is due in juvenile court for arraignment Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 1:30 p.m. PST, according to the District Attorney’s office.

Juvenile cases are largely shut to the public – online filings for the case were not publicly available Wednesday – and it was not immediately clear if the teen had retained a lawyer.

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Sgt. Joelle Harrell heard the pop of gunfire from a block away Saturday and came upon the rookie slumped by a post office box, blood pouring from a gunshot wound to the chest, she told the San Francisco Chronicle.

“He tried to rob me!” she recalls Pearsall telling her.

As the blood gushed from his chest, he asked her if he was going to die.

“You’re strong,” she said repeatedly, pressing his shirt and her own baseball cap over the wound to quell the bleeding. “Just focus on the breathing.”

Pearsall returned to the team facility Monday, Sept. 2, Kristin Wojcik, the 49ers communication manager, confirmed to PEOPLE.

“He's doing remarkably well,” Lynch said at the press conference, calling the incident “unchartered territory.”

Lynch, who visited Pearsall at the hospital, said that some of Pearsall’s “earliest concerns” regarded “when he could play.”

“I promise you, I'm not injury prone,” he said Pearsall – the 31st overall draft pick in April – tried to reassure him, to which the general manager noted how he reminded the rookie that being shot is “out of your control.”

Lynch, who said the team has emphasized “being safe and being aware” on the streets of San Francisco, said Pearsall had been shopping for luggage for upcoming away games when he was held up at gunpoint near his car.

“We should be able to do that and not be concerned," the general manager said regarding individuals feeling safe in public.

Experts interviewed by The Chronicle believe they identified Pearsall’s watch – visible in social mediavideos from the earlier signing – as a Rolex Datejust, valued at about $12,000.

The teen “spotted him for his expensive watch” Sgt. Frank Harrell (who is married to the first-responder) told The Chronicle.

Pearsall also described the alleged shooter as having lost his slip-on shoes while running from the scene before being arrested barefoot nearby, the outlet reported.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement shared with PEOPLE that she “will seek to have the minor held in custody” due to “the public safety risk posed.”

Her office further noted that she has not yet decided if she will request a fitness hearing to move the case to adult court.

“This case will be tried like all other cases, in the courtroom, not in the press,” Jenkins said. “We will follow the facts, evidence and the law and do our jobs to seek justice.”

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