The gun that was used to shoot San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, a former standout at Tempe’s Corona del Sol High School, appears to be from Tempe as well.
Pearsall, 24, was shot in the chest Aug. 31 by a 17-year-old boy who attempted to rob him in a brazen daylight confrontation outside of a luxury store on the streets of San Francisco. During the ensuing struggle, the boy was also shot with his own gun.
The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that the gun used by the teenager has been traced to a Tempe man, who filed a report with Tempe police this week, saying two guns were stolen from his home. He said he could not remember the exact dates but that he guessed the two guns were stolen about three months ago. On Friday, Tempe police confirmed to KJZZ News that they had received a report for two stolen guns.
An anonymous source told the Chronicle that the gun used in the shooting was a .40-caliber Glock 23 and was legally purchased Feb. 2 at MMP Guns, which is a sister business of — and located inside — the Mo Money Pawn Shop, at 1152 E. Indian School Road in Phoenix.
MMP Guns did not immediately respond to KJZZ News' request for comment.
Pearsall was a standout at Tempe’s Corona del Sol High School, where he set an Arizona 6A record with a 342-yard receiving game in 2017. He played at Arizona State University from 2019 through 2021, then transferred to the University of Florida for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
He was selected in the first round of the NFL draft in April, as the 31st overall pick, by the 49ers. He was placed on the NFL’s reserve/non-football injury list after the shooting but is expected to rejoin the 49ers’ active roster this season.
The teen who shot Pearsall has been charged with attempted murder and other crimes, although prosecutors have not determined whether they intend to try him as an adult.
