SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The 17-year-old accused of shooting San Francisco 49ers player Ricky Pearsall made his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon.

The suspect, who was represented in court by his parents, remains in custody in San Francisco, according to the judge’s orders.

His attorney, Deputy District Attorney Bob Dunlap, spoke to the media outside the courthouse after the hearing on Wednesday.

“From what I know, this is not his character at all. I think there are external circumstances that are not really part of the story yet, but I’m still piecing that together,” Dunlap said.

Dunlap also confirmed that there is another case pending against the teen in San Joaquin County, but he did not elaborate.

EXCLUSIVE: Video shows moment Ricky Pearsall shooting suspect flees Union Square crime scene

He said his client is remorseful after Saturday’s incident.

“He is very sorry that this has happened, as is his family. And I can say on behalf of them and myself that our thoughts go out to the Pearsall family and Mr. Pearsall himself,” Dunlap said.

Legal experts say moving the case will not be an easy task and that the final decision will rest with the judge.

Dunlap believes this is an unnecessary step, despite the high-profile nature of the case.

“The only reason you’re here to talk to me is because Mr. Pearsall is a 49er. Let’s be honest about that,” he said.

The case has received widespread national attention and has once again drawn attention to public safety in San Francisco.

In recent days, questions have been raised about whether city Attorney Brooke Jenkins will move the case from juvenile to adult court.

In a 2022 press release, Jenkins said she would only seek to bring cases involving certain “heinous crimes.”

EXCLUSIVE: SF DA files attempted murder charges against teenage suspect in 49ers’ Pearsall shooting

While the charges her office has filed against the suspect appear to meet those criteria, Jenkins said Tuesday that her office has not yet made a decision on whether to file the petition.

“I don’t go into cases to use them as examples. So I want to make that clear. But my job is to make sure people understand that the culture in SF is very different than it was two and a half years ago,” Jenkins said.

San Francisco mayor and police chief weigh charges

Mayor London Breed, speaking at San Francisco’s Chinatown Night Out on Wednesday night, said she supports the DA’s course, whatever that may be.

“I think that’s the district attorney’s decision and look, the legal systems are complicated. Juvenile courts are a little different than adult courts, but ultimately it has to be an aggressive action, especially since this child had a weapon and things could have been a lot worse,” Mayor Breed said.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott gave a recap of what happened Saturday to police commissioners Wednesday night. We asked him before the meeting whether the teenage suspect surrendered after dropping the gun.

“I can’t tell exactly what was going through his mind, but the video says it all: he dropped his weapon, so I don’t know if he surrendered voluntarily or not. What I do know is that officers were there and identified him as someone who was involved in the incident,” said Police Chief Scott.

As for the teenage suspect’s “very regrettable” apology from the public defender, Mayor Breed took a firm tone when we asked her about it on Wednesday.

“But at the same time, accountability must also be part of the conversation, because the situation could have ended much worse and fortunately that did not happen. Nevertheless, he must be held accountable,” said Breed.

Pearsall, 23, was walking alone to his car shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday after shopping at high-end stores in Union Square when the suspect allegedly noticed the NFL player wearing a Rolex watch. A struggle ensued and gunfire from the suspect’s firearm struck both Pearsall and the teen, who was shot in the arm, police said.

The 49ers rookie was shot in the chest at close range, officials said. His mother, Erin Pearsall, posted on social media that the bullet went through the right side of her son’s chest and exited his back without hitting any vital organs.

The teenager lives in Tracy, a city about 100 miles east of San Francisco.

He was arrested about a block from where he allegedly confronted Pearsall.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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