(GoRealNewsNow.com) – National Football League (NFL) 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot during a failed robbery attempt in San Francisco.
According to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, the unidentified 17-year-old suspect has been charged with attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and attempted robbery.
Jenkins confirmed that the charges will be handled in juvenile court, with the suspect expected to be arraigned this afternoon.
“No longer under California law can a district attorney choose to file those charges against a minor in adult court,” Jenkins explained.
She added, “The only mechanism for that is to request a transfer hearing, which requires that a judge rule on the minor’s fitness to be transferred to adult court, which essentially means that the juvenile system would not be equipped to rehabilitate that minor.”
Moreover, the DA said that her office would “review the case more closely to determine whether or not we will seek that fitness hearing.”
The 23-year-old NFL star was shot in the chest by the teenager who tried to steal his Rolex watch in San Francisco’s Union Square. The rookie resisted the robbery but was hit by one bullet while another struck the suspect.
The suspect was quickly arrested as he tried to escape the busy street on foot.
In addition, both Pearsall and the suspect received first aid from officers before being transported to the hospital, where Pearsall was listed in “serious but stable condition.”
He was released from the hospital on Sunday, and his mother shared how fortunate her son was to survive the incident.
“First and far [sic] most I want to thank God for protecting my baby boy,” she wrote on Facebook. “He is extremely lucky, God shielded him. He was shot in the chest, and it exited out his back. Thanks be to God it missed his vital organs.”
Pearsall, who racked up 965 receiving yards and six touchdowns in his senior season with the Gators, was reportedly back in the 49ers’ weight room just two days after the terrifying ordeal.
Niners general manager John Lynch expressed optimism about Pearsall’s recovery, stating it was “nothing short of miraculous” that he was doing so well after the incident.
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