Shooting of 49ers rookie places renewed spotlight on crime in San Francisco

(CNN) — The shooting and attempted robbery of a San Francisco 49ers rookie in broad daylight in downtown San Francisco has placed a renewed spotlight on the city ahead of this fall’s mayoral election.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest during the attempted robbery on Saturday afternoon and was released from the hospital Sunday, the team said on social media.

Pearsall is in good spirits, his mother, Erin Pearsall, wrote in a Facebook post shared on X by The Athletic writer David Lombardi. Erin Pearsall wrote the bullet, which entered her son’s chest and exited through his back, missed his vital organs.

The 17-year-old resident from Tracy, California, who attempted to rob Ricky Pearsall — and was also shot during the incident — is in custody, police said. Officers say they believe the suspect acted alone and have no reason to believe Pearsall was targeted because he is a football player.

Mayor London Breed, in a news conference outside San Francisco General Hospital on Saturday, framed the shooting as an isolated incident in a city with relatively low violent crime rates.

Breed said the shooting was “a terrible and rare incident in Union Square,” where the city has increased police officer coverage in recent years.

“This incident does set us back from all of the hard work that we’ve done in order to make significant changes in public safety in San Francisco,” she said.

Despite public concerns over shoplifting, car break-ins and other crime in recent years, Breed and other city officials say their efforts have resulted in an overall drop in crime.

City says violent crime is down

In the first quarter of 2024, property crime decreased by 32% and violent crime is down by 14% – with gun violence, specifically, down 38% – compared to the same time last year, according to the city.

The police department’s most recent report shows a 22% drop in violent crime broadly this July compared to last July, though the number of reported gun violence incidents during July was tied at 21 across both years.

In 2023, the city boasted a decade-low crime rate, with the exception of 2020, when it was mostly shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But recent high-profile crimes have left some concerned about safety, which Mark Farell, who’s running against Breed in the upcoming mayoral election, says is top of mind for voters.

“Our city has suffered from a tragic series of gun shootings: a Galileo high student shot while Breed partied in Chicago, a young girl in Crocker-Amazon with life-threatening wounds, and now 49ers first round draft pick Ricky Pearsall struck with gunfire during an attempted robbery in Union Square,” Farell wrote on X. “Enough is enough. If we want public safety in San Francisco, then we need change in City Hall.”

Police have increased officers’ presence

Union Square was once a teeming shopping hub and tourist destination, but the area saw decreased traffic during the Covid-19 pandemic, and in recent years some businesses have left the area.

Macy’s, for example, announced the closing of its Union Square location earlier this year. The Container Store is another major retailer that closed its Union Square location.

The city previously increased police coverage in and around Union Square amid concerns over shoplifting, car break-ins and other crime. That police presence will now be ramped up, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said during a Saturday news conference.

“When things like this happen, people get anxiety and we want to make sure that the public know that we’re there for them, so we will increase that deployment,” Scott said.

Scott and other city officials say they’ve been taking action to tackle the city’s crime and safety issues.

In March, police made 54 arrests and seized 600 grams of narcotics in one day during a multiagency operation. City officials also installed automated license plate readers this year, aimed at disrupting organized theft.

Breed recently told CNN the city is employing a “very aggressive strategy” to clear homeless encampments after the Supreme Court ruled people living on streets can be cited, fined or even jailed.

“A lot of that hard work and the data goes out the window sometimes when something happens like this” Breed said Saturday. “My hope is that we can demonstrate that this is an isolated incident … one that led to an arrest and will lead to accountability. That’s how this is supposed to work.”

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