49ers WR Open to Meeting Teen Who Shot Him: ‘Forgive Him’
By Movieguide® Contributor
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is open to meeting the young man who shot him in August last year during an attempted mugging.
“Pearsall was approached by a 17-year-old with a gun who demanded he pass over his Rolex watch after an afternoon autograph session,” Movieguide® reported at the time. “After Pearsall attempted to fight back, he and the teenager were injured by the gun. Police officers were quickly on the scene and were able to provide support while calling an ambulance to bring both people to the hospital.”
READ MORE: NFL ROOKIE ALIVE ‘BY THE GRACE OF GOD’ AFTER BEING SHOT IN CHEST
According to Fox News Digital, “Pearsall missed a few games but managed to play 11 games and catch 31 passes for 400 yards. He scored three touchdowns as well. The 49ers player said Monday as he cleared out his locker room that he wanted to meet with the teen suspect who was accused of shooting him.”
“I don’t know how he grew up, so I can’t judge him as a man just based off one action that he made,” Pearsall said, according to KNBR. “As violent as a crime as it was, God forbid him doing that to somebody else. I don’t ever want that to happen.”
“For me, just being able to forgive him at the end of the day like, I have to be able to forgive him to have that weight off my chest,” the wide receiver added. “At some point I do want to talk to the kid and make sure that, if I can create an impact on him in any way I think that would be really big. I think I’d be definitely open to doing that, for sure.”
The shooter, a 17-year-old high school student, was charged “with attempted murder in the Pearsall shooting and was arraigned back in September. He also faces assault with a semiautomatic weapon and attempted second-degree robbery charges on top of other gun-related charges.”
The teen’s lawyer, Bob Dunlap, did stress that his client is truly sorry for his actions.
“He’s genuinely very sorry that this did happen, as is his family, and I can say on their behalf, as well as on my own behalf, our thoughts go out to the Pearsall family and Mr. Pearsall himself. So there is genuine, genuine remorse in that regard,” Dunlap explained. “He is a young boy.”
READ MORE: 49ERS WR SCORES FIRST NFL TD MONTHS AFTER BEING SHOT: ‘PRESENCE OF GOD’
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