San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall, who was shot during broad daylight Saturday in an attempted robbery at Union Square in San Francisco, was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, according to ABC News.
His mother and the 49ers shared on social media that he was "incredibly fortunate" to have survived.
On Monday, the National Football League added Pearsall to the reserve/non-football injury list, meaning he will miss at least four games of the season, according to ESPN.
The San Francisco 49ers said in a statement, Pearsall "sustained a bullet wound to his chest," during the attempted robbery.
The NFL team said Pearsall was released from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Sunday afternoon as he "continues to recover" from the shooting.
"He and his family, along with the entire San Francisco 49ers organization, would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department, emergency medical services, doctors and staff at San Francisco General Hospital," the team said in a statement posted on X.
Pearsall's mother posted a statement on Facebook Sunday, saying, "I want to thank GOD for protecting my baby boy."
"He is extremely lucky, GOD shielded him," she wrote in the post that was shared on social media by her son's 49er teammates, including quarterback Brock Purdy. "He was shot in the chest and it exited out his back. Thanks be to GOD it missed his vital organs."
On Saturday, just before 4 p.m. local time, the San Francisco Police Department stated that they received a report of a shooting and discovered two men with injuries.
The SFPD reported that "both the suspect and victim were injured during a physical altercation that took place during an attempted robbery."
According to sources who confirmed to ABC News, initial reports suggest that the wide receiver was singled out because of the Rolex watch he had on.
While he walking down a street, 23-year-old Pearsall was approached by a 17-year-old suspect from Tracy, California, who attempted to rob him, as stated by the police during a briefing held outside of San Francisco General Hospital.
Police said Pearsall was not targeted because he is a football player, it was a random street robbery.
The suspect is in custody and charges are pending at this time, police said in a statement.
During a press conference, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the investigation into the incident was ongoing.
"This kind of violence is simply unacceptable in our city, and we will do everything in our power to work with District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to assure that justice is served in this matter," he said.
When asked whether the suspect had accomplices, Scott replied: "Right now, we believe it was one lone person. That may change as we get video evidence."
Jenkins told the press conference that she expected to make a charging decision "by the middle of next week, either Tuesday or Wednesday." Any charges will be filed in a juvenile court given the suspect's age, Jenkins added.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed, meanwhile, described the incident as "terrible and rare."
Pearsall, a first-round draft selection, had been managing a shoulder injury throughout the preseason and resumed practice last week, as reported by the NFL.
"He is in good spirits right now," Erin Pearsall said in her Facebook post. "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."
Our prayers go out to Ricky Pearsall as he recovers from his injuries.
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