San Francisco 49er football player Ricky Pearsall was released from the hospital after being shot in the chest during an attempted robbery this weekend.
The suspected shooter, a 17-year-old boy, was arrested and will be charged in juvenile court, according to NBC Sports. He has not been publicly identified.
The 49ers said in a statement that Pearsall, 23, “continues to recover from a bullet wound to his chest” following his release on Sunday.
“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.
San Francisco police said that they received a report about a shooting around 3.30pm Saturday in Union Square, a popular shopping area. When officers arrived, they found two men with injuries, who were both taken to hospital.
Police subsequently determined that one of the injured men tried to rob Pearsall. Authorities think Pearsall tried fighting back, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, and that the alleged gunman was injured during this altercation.
Police said that multiple rounds were fired during the incident and that the suspect was shot by his own gun. Authorities think that the would-be robber acted on his own and did not prey on Pearsall because he is on the 49ers, NBC Sports reported.
The San Francisco police chief, William Scott, said that the investigation remained active. “This kind of violence is simply unacceptable in our city,” Scott reportedly said.
The wide receiver’s mother, Erin Pearsall, expressed gratitude on Saturday, recognizing that his injuries could have been far worse.
“I want to thank GOD for protecting my baby boy. He is extremely lucky, GOD shielded him. He was shot in the chest and it exited out his back,” Erin Pearsall said in a Facebook post reported by Fox KTVU. “Thanks be to GOD it missed his vital organs. He is in good spirits right now. 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.”
Gun violence is a top cause of premature death in the US, with firearms killing more than 48,000 annually. Firearms injuries rank among the five leading causes of death for people age one through 44, according to the American Public Health Association.
In June, the US surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy, declared gun violence a public health crisis. Murthy has urged the US to ban automatic rifles, mandate universal background checks, and approve legislation that would limit their use in public areas.
Murthy has also pressed for penalties against persons who fail to store their weapons safely. Congress would have to pass legislation in order for Murthy’s proposals to materialize across the US, which is unlikely due to its historic opposition to gun regulations, according to the Associated Press.