SAN FRANCISCO – A 17-year-old high school senior charged with attempted murder in the daytime weekend shooting of San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall was arraigned in juvenile court Wednesday and said through his attorney that he was sorry for what happened.
The slight teen wore a green sweatshirt and green pants, looked straight ahead at the judge during the proceeding and did not turn around to acknowledge his parents, who were in the room.
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San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins charged the teen on Tuesday with attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic weapon and attempted second-degree robbery. On Wednesday, her office added several gun-related charges.
Her office has not decided whether try the juvenile as an adult, saying they need time to investigate further and, if appropriate, petition the court to transfer the case to adult court. California law prevents prosecutors from charging a minor as an adult without judicial approval.
The teen’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Bob Dunlap, told reporters after the hearing that he is very sorry about what happened.
“He’s genuinely very sorry that this did happen, as is his family, and I can say on their behalf, as well as on my own behalf, our thoughts go out to the Pearsall family and Mr. Pearsall himself. So there is genuine, genuine remorse in that regard," Dunlap said. "He is a young boy.”
A probation officer recommended the teen stay in custody and be transferred to his home county of San Joaquin, where he has another matter pending. But Superior Court Judge Roger C. Chan said the teen will stay in San Francisco custody.
Family members of both the teen and Pearsall were in the room Wednesday, Chan said.
The daylight shooting Saturday of a professional athlete in an upscale shopping district downtown put the national spotlight again on a city that struggled with brazen shoplifting, empty storefronts and assaults on Asian American seniors. Mayor London Breed, a Democrat, is in a tight reelection contest in November.
Pearsall, 23, was walking alone to his car shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday after shopping at luxury stores in Union Square when the suspect allegedly saw the NFL player was wearing a Rolex watch. A struggle ensued, and gunfire from the suspect’s firearm struck both Pearsall and the teenager, who was shot in the arm, police said.
The 49ers rookie was shot through the chest at close range, officials said. His mother, Erin Pearsall, posted on social media that the bullet went through the right side of her son’s chest and out his back without striking any vital organs.
Pearsall was released Sunday from the San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
He was back at the team facility on Monday, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said Tuesday. The Niners placed Pearsall on the non-football injury list, giving him time to recover from the shooting and a shoulder injury that had limited him all summer, Lynch said.
The teen lives in Tracy, a city about 60 miles (100 kilometers) east of San Francisco.
He was arrested about a block away from where he allegedly confronted Pearsall.