It was obviously not legal for the 17-year-old minor accused of shooting 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall to carry a gun, but an investigation of the gun’s origin shows it was purchased legally, though may have been stolen once or twice since its last purchase.
The San Francisco 49ers’ first-round pick Ricky Pearsall has probably been the most talked-about rookie wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, though for reasons he would rather not be. Pearsall was shot in Union Square on August 31 in an apparent attempted robbery, but the more enduring story may be his miraculous recovery, as Pearsall might be on the field playing again as soon as the Niners’ October 6 home game against the Arizona Cardinals — a mere 37 days after being shot in the chest.
EXCLUSIVE:
— Demian Bulwa (@demianbulwa) September 24, 2024
Gun used in shooting of 49ers’ Ricky Pearsall was recently purchased — in another state
By @meganrcassidy and @susieneilson https://t.co/zx1eIXSgqW via @sfchronicle
None of this affects the investigation and criminal case into the 17-year-old who allegedly shot Pearsall. And the Chronicle has some leaked details from that investigation, learning that the gun was a .40-caliber Glock 23 that was purchased legally in Phoenix, Arizona on February 2 of this year.
This is a dark coincidence, because Pearsall himself is also from Phoenix, Arizona, and played college ball at Arizona State in nearby Tempe, Arizona. (He transferred to the University of Florida in 2022.)
Though as the Chronicle notes, “It’s unclear how the gun traveled 700 miles and across state lines.”
The gun was purchased in February at MMP Guns, a subsidiary of the large Phoenix pawn shop chain Mo Money Pawn Shop. There is a good chance it was stolen afterwards. The Chronicle points to a 2023 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives report that notes more than twice as many guns seized by law enforcement in California that year were originally purchased in Arizona (4,725) than were actually purchased in California (2,036).
Either way, it is not legal in the state of California for a minor to be transporting a gun. We don’t know the 17-year-old suspect’s name, as he is a minor.
The minor is being charged with attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, attempted second-degree robbery, and an array of other gun charges. His attorney claims to have video that shows a physical struggle between the two, for which the attorney says his client should not be charged with attempted murder.
The KGO video above is not the video in question, but a different video showing the suspect holding the gun, which he dropped, because he also managed to shoot himself in the alleged encounter.
DA Brooke Jenkins’s office has not yet indicated whether the 17-year-old suspect will be tried as an adult. Either way, a judge will make the final call on that decision.
Image: SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall #14 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on during warm ups before playing the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium on September 09, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
