When a 16-year-old teen went to pick up his siblings, he went to the wrong house and got shot. CNN reports that the incident happened on April 13 in the evening in Kansas City, Missouri.
(Courtesy of Ralph Yarl’s Family)
The teenager’s parents apparently instructed him to bring up his siblings from a location on 115th Terrace, according to information provided to Kansas City Police. However, the 16-year-old walked to the wrong house on 115th Street, where a resident is accused of shooting him. The teenager was identified as Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old junior in high school. Yarl was transferred to a nearby hospital after the gunshot in a stable condition, and he has since been making a full recovery. Yarl’s family has retained civil rights attorneys S. Lee Merritt and Benjamin Crump, who issued a statement regarding the teenager’s condition.
“Despite the severity of his injuries and the seriousness of his condition, Ralph is alive and recovering.”
The homeowner has not been identified. In addition, the suspect was detained, held for 24 hours, and then released. According to the source, Chief Stacey Graves of the Kansas City Police Department stated that further investigation is required in order to obtain a formal statement from the victim” and “gather additional forensic evidence. However, as stated by KSHB, Graves claimed that a gun had been found on the site. The shooting is the subject of a comprehensive investigation, Kansas City Police have informed the public.
Community members apparently “rallied” outside the house where Ralph Yarl was shot despite the assurances. The demonstrators think that the shooting was racially motivated. People from the neighborhood allegedly yelled “Black Lives Matter” and “justice for Ralph” in front of the house. They also had banners saying “Ringing a doorbell is not a crime” and “The shooter should do the time.” According to CNN, the police chief has subsequently replied to claims that the shooting was racially motivated.
“The information that we have now, it does not say that that is racially motivated. That’s still an active investigation. But as a chief of police, I do recognize the racial components of this case.”
A GoFundMe was launched by Faith Spoonmore, the aunt of Ralph Yarl. The fundraiser is intended to assist the family with Yarl’s medical expenses and therapy. Since its launch, the campaign has raised over $849,834, with over 21,000 people donating.
