Mark Farrell, who is running for mayor of San Francisco, has lashed out at incumbent London Breed after 49ers wide receiver Ryan Pearsall was shot near downtown on Saturday.
Farrell, the former interim mayor who is running for office again in the fall, hinted at his zero-tolerance stance toward crime in the Bay in X, believing a near-death situation would never have occurred in Pearsall under his watch.
He wrote: “Our city has seen a series of tragic shootings: a student at Galileo High School was shot while Breed was partying in Chicago, a young girl in Crocker-Amazon was critically injured, and now Pearsall, a first-round pick by the 49ers in the Black Jack Draft, was shot during an attempted robbery in Union Square.
“Enough is enough. If we want public safety in San Francisco, we need change at City Hall.”
A juvenile suspect is in custody after allegedly shooting Pearsall, who was released from San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center on Sunday, the team said in a statement, and was listed in fair condition.
Mark Farrell, a candidate for mayor in San Francisco, said: “Enough is enough”
A juvenile suspect is in custody after allegedly shooting 49ers wide receiver Ryan Pearsall (pictured) on Saturday.
Pearsall was walking alone with shopping bags to his car shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday when a suspect attempted to rob him with a gun on Geary Boulevard, police said.
“A struggle ensued between Mr. Pearsall and the suspect, and both Mr. Pearsall and the suspect were struck by gunfire from the suspect's weapon,” San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said during a news conference.
Officers on scene responded immediately, provided emergency medical care and arrested the suspect.
Police identified the suspect as a 17-year-old man from Tracy, California, about 60 miles east of San Francisco, who was also taken to San Francisco General. His condition was not immediately released.
Witnesses reported hearing several shots. A gun believed to have belonged to the suspect was recovered. Investigators believe he acted alone, Scott said.
Pearsall and the 17-year-old faced each other at Union Square near downtown
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced that he will severely punish the juvenile offender
A video recorded by a witness shows Pearsall being helped into an ambulance shirtless and with a large wound on his chest, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Breed said she is confident the district attorney will prosecute the case.
“This is how we hold the people of San Francisco accountable. Robberies and acts of violence like this will not be tolerated in our city,” Breed said during the press conference, thanking hospital staff, police and emergency responders, including San Francisco firefighters.
“This was a horrific and rare incident at Union Square and our thoughts are with Ricky Pearsall and his family. He has a bright future ahead of him and I look forward to seeing him back on the field,” Breed said.
Pearsall was drafted 31st in the first round by the 49ers in April, but has been slowed by injuries since joining the team.
The 49ers selected 23-year-old Ricky Pearsall in the first round (31st overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft
He missed some time of training camp due to hamstring and shoulder problems before returning to training last week in a non-contact blue jersey while his shoulder heals.
Pearsall began his college career at Arizona State and transferred to Florida for his final two seasons. He had 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns for the Gators last season and finished his college career with 159 catches for 2,420 yards and 14 TDs.
The Niners had hoped that Pearsall could contribute as a rookie replacing regulars Brandon Aiyuk and Samuel.
