Early on Monday, February 9, San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Keion White was shot in the ankle, just hours after the Super Bowl LX concluded at Levi’s Stadium. The incident occurred around 4:06 a.m. on Mission Street, following a verbal dispute between two groups inside a business.
White, 27, underwent surgery later that afternoon, with the team confirming that his injury is not expected to jeopardize his career. “Keion White was a victim of a shooting and sustained a bullet wound to his ankle this morning in San Francisco,” the 49ers stated. “He is currently undergoing surgery at a local hospital. We will provide further updates when appropriate.”
The San Francisco Police Department reported that officers arrived on the scene to find one victim with a gunshot wound. They provided immediate assistance before transporting White to the hospital with injuries deemed non-life-threatening. “A preliminary investigation revealed a verbal altercation occurred between two groups,” the police noted, indicating that shots were fired by an unknown suspect.
As of now, no arrests have been made, and the investigation continues. Authorities have not confirmed whether the shooting was connected to any Super Bowl-related events. “Our officers are working diligently on this investigation,” said department spokesperson Evan Sernoffsky. “We’re following multiple leads.”
Interestingly, Sernoffsky clarified that White was not involved in the argument that led to the shooting and that there were no additional victims reported. Earlier that night, White had shared moments from Levi’s Stadium on Instagram, capturing his experience watching his former team, the New England Patriots, face off against the Seattle Seahawks.
This incident echoes a previous shooting involving another 49ers player, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery 18 months ago. Pearsall survived after the bullet passed through him without hitting vital organs and returned to play after missing six games in the 2025 season.
A 17-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with Pearsall’s shooting after sustaining a gunshot wound himself. He faces charges including attempted murder and is awaiting trial in juvenile court. Pearsall later expressed forgiveness towards his attacker, stating, “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.”
“At some point, I do want to talk to the kid,” Pearsall added. “If I can create an impact on him in any way, I think that would be really good and I’d be open to doing that for sure.”
