SAN FRANCISCO – The impact of the daylight robbery attempt and shooting of San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall continues to reverberate throughout the city.

Mayor London Breed acknowledged that it is another high-profile incident for a city that is attempting to change perceptions about out-of-control crime.

She said that as shocking as the incident was, her recent push to support law enforcement played a role in the quick capture of the 17-year-old suspect from Tracy. The mayor pointed to recent data showing crime trending downward.

“But, I want to say, because everyone says it: when something happens to you, all that number stuff goes out the door,” said Breed. “I totally understand that. But, we are not letting up, and the fact is, what we put in place worked, and it sends a strong message that if you come to San Francisco and commit these crimes you will be arrested.”

Former Mayor Mark Farrell, who hopes to unseat Breed, described the shooting as yet another high-profile black eye for San Francisco. He said it’s a sign that new leadership with an eye on public safety is needed.

“She defunded the police department three years ago,” said Farrell. “Stripped $120 million out of our police department budget. Has mismanaged our police department, where now overtime is getting capped and cut and is now blocking reform of our police commission that is making it harder for police officers to do their work on the streets of San Francisco. I’m running for mayor because I’m going to change that.”

Daniel Lurie said the shooting is a clear indication that previous city leaders have failed. He plans to expand police staffing so that residents and visitors feel safe.

“In order for us to be able to draw conventions back, to draw tourism back, and to build our brand again globally, we have a lot of work to do and the people I’m running against have created this perception, this sense of disorder,” said Lurie.

District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí lauded the swift action of the officers on the scene. He noted that’s why he has advocated for creative ways to increase police staffing, adding that recent data showing that crime is down does not make anyone feel safer after a high-profile incident like this.

“They want to hear ‘What are you going to do about the problem? How are you going to solve it?’” said Safai. “So, my solution is to get them out of their cars on the street. We have the overtime to pay for it, and secondly, to get those numbers back up, let’s give incentives like student loan forgiveness to make them want to work in San Francisco.”

Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, also running for mayor, told KTVU in a statement that read in part, “Turning this into a political football doesn’t make San Francisco safer or represent who we are as a city… I’m representing by focusing on real public safety solutions: retaining 50 experienced officers at less cost than overtime via Prop F and legislating my College to Community Policing recruitment plan with forgivable loans.” 

San Francisco general manager John Lynch described wide receiver Ricky Pearsall’s recovery after being shot and emerging from the shooting in such good condition as “miraculous.”

“It’s miraculous he’s doing as well as he is,” Lynch told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday. “He’s doing remarkably, so much better today than he was yesterday. Really, really miraculous. … I mean, it’s pretty remarkable.”

Pearsall was shot in chest during a robbery attempt in Union Square, a commercial area in San Francisco, on Saturday. Pearsall’s mother posted on social media that the bullet entered Pearsall’s chest and exited cleanly through his back and missed vital organs, bones, and anything that might cause nerve damage. The gunshot wound did not require surgery and Pearsall was released from the hospital on Sunday morning, less than 24 hours after the shooting.

The 49ers placed Pearsall on the “non-football injury” list on Tuesday. The NFI designation means Pearsall is ineligible to play in at least the first four games of the regular season while recovering from the injury.

Lynch said he expects Pearsall to play in 2024, but the team will be cautious with his recovery.

“Ultimately, we felt the number one thing we had to be concerned with was Ricky’s well-being, physically, emotionally, mentally,” Lynch told reporters. “And ultimately, decided that the best thing for Ricky was to have a little bit time. And he’s going to need that time physically. He’s going to need that time emotionally, mentally. And we made that decision.”

The 49ers used their first-round pick (No. 21) to select Pearsall in the 2024 NFL draft. He’d been slowed in training camp by shoulder and hamstring issues but returned to practice last week and was on track to play in the team’s regular season opener against the New York Jets on Monday night.