Rookie 49ers receiver shot in San Francisco; teen suspect hidden by California juvenile laws

While shopping in Union Square, San Francisco, rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, was shot after refusing to surrender his watch to an armed robber. The bullet lodged in his chest but missed vital organs, allowing him to survive and eventually return to the 49ers in Week 7. The alleged assailant, reported as a 17-year-old high-school student from Tracy, has never been named or photographed because California’s Proposition 57 and Senate Bill 1391 restrict the prosecution of juveniles as adults and keep their identities confidential.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins sought an adult trial on an attempted-murder charge, but a judge rejected the request in September. Consequently, no trial, sentencing, or public record has emerged, prompting criticism that the state’s “soft-on-crime” framework lets violent offenders act with anonymity. The case underscores ongoing debate over juvenile-justice reforms in California.