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Lindsey Thiry
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall says he was unsure of his fate after he was shot in the chest during an armed robbery last year near San Francisco’s Union Square.
«My adrenaline was rushing. I didn’t feel, really, much pain at all. It was just more of like a burning sensation,» Pearsall told ESPN in a sit-down interview. «I’m very religious. I’m a Christian. I just didn’t know if I was going to go to heaven or hell.
«I definitely thought about my family … not knowing if I was going to tell my family I love them again.»
Recounting the Aug. 31, 2024, situation in-depth for the first time, Pearsall said he saw in his peripheral vision someone approaching him as he opened the back of his car to place shopping bags inside his vehicle.
Pearsall, who earlier in the day hosted a nearby autograph signing, said he initially thought the person was a fan.
Arizona Cardinals.
Pearsall said it remains a constant effort to move forward to try to heal his post-traumatic stress disorder.
«I want to live a happy life,» Pearsall said. «Reality is, I am here. I’m alive. A lot of good people around me. I shouldn’t be freaking out about certain things, holding myself back from the moments that I could be where my feet are at and enjoying my life.»
