Robert GrahamThe 17-year-old boy held in the shooting of 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall faces a slew of charges, including attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and attempted second-degree robbery.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said at a news conference Tuesday that the charges against the teen will be filed in juvenile court. The teen remains in custody at the Youth Guidance Center in the city and is set to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon in juvenile court.
Authorities are not naming the defendant because he is a minor.
Jenkins said it is up to a judge to rule if the charges should be transferred to adult court.
"The only mechanism for that is to request a transfer hearing, which requires that a judge rule on the minor fitness to be transferred to adult court, which essentially means that the juvenile system would not be equipped to rehabilitate that minor," Jenkins said. She added that her office is reviewing the case closely to determine if they want to pursue a transfer hearing.
In 2022, Jenkins said she would consider charging 16- and 17-year-olds accused of committing heinous crimes as adults, and attempted murder falls under that category. However, before her office pursues charging teens in adult court, they consider several factors.
"We have to look at the facts. We have to look at the minor's history. We have to look at a number of things in order to make a determination of whether we think it's appropriate to seek a transfer. I don't have all of the information yet to be able to make that determination," she underscored.
The shooting of Pearsall happened Saturday in San Francisco's bustling Union Square district. Pearsall was shot in the chest by the 17-year-old suspect, who tried to rob him of his Rolex.
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said Tuesday that he expects Pearsall to make a full recovery.
Pearsall was released from the hospital Sunday and was already back at the team facility Monday.
The Niners placed Pearsall on the non-football injury list, which will sideline him for at least four weeks, giving him time to recover from the shooting and a shoulder injury that had limited him throughout the summer.