Teenager charged with attempted murder of San Francisco 49ers rookie says he is very sorry

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A 17-year-old high school student is facing attempted murder charges in the daytime shooting death of a San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver over the weekend. Ricky Pearsall was brought before the juvenile court on Wednesday and had his lawyer express that he was sorry for the incident.

Wearing a green sweatshirt and green pants, the petite teenager looked straight ahead at the judge during the trial and did not turn to greet his parents, who were in the room.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins Teenager charged with attempted murder on Tuesdayassault with a semi-automatic weapon and attempted second-degree robbery. On Wednesday, her office added several firearms-related charges.

Her office has not yet decided whether to charge the juvenile as an adult. It says it needs time to conduct further investigations and, if necessary, ask the court to transfer the case to adult court. Under California law, prosecutors cannot charge a minor as an adult without a judge's approval.

The teenager's attorney, Assistant Public Defender Bob Dunlap, told reporters after the hearing that he was very sorry for what happened.

“He sincerely regrets that this happened, as does his family, and I can say on their behalf as well as my own, our thoughts are with the Pearsall family and with Mr. Pearsall himself. So there is real, sincere regret in that regard,” Dunlap said. “He's a young boy.”

A probation officer recommended keeping the teen in custody and transferring him to his home county of San Joaquin, where another case is pending, but Superior Court Judge Roger C. Chan said the teen will remain in San Francisco custody.

Family members of both the teenager and Pearsall were in the room on Wednesday, Chan said.

The daylight shooting of a professional athlete in an upscale downtown shopping district Saturday thrust a city struggling with brazen shoplifting, empty storefronts and attacks on Asian-American seniors into the national spotlight. Mayor London Breed, a Democrat, faces a tight re-election campaign 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 noticed the NFL player was wearing a Rolex watch, a struggle ensued and both Pearsall and the teen were hit by gunfire from the suspect's gun, who was shot in the arm, police said.

The 49ers rookie was shot in the chest at close range, officials said. His mother, Erin Pearsall, posted on social media that the bullet passed through the right side of her son's chest and out his back without hitting any vital organs.

Pearsall was released from San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center on Sunday.

He was back at the team facility on Monday, said John Lynch, general manager of the San Francisco 49ers, on Tuesday. The Niners have released Pearsall to the List of non-football injuries, That gave him time to recover from the shooting and a shoulder injury that had limited him all summer, Lynch said.

The teenager lives in Tracy, a city about 100 kilometers east of San Francisco.

He was arrested about a block from where he allegedly confronted Pearsall.