Community members in Kansas City protested Sunday after a homeowner shot a Black teen who came to his home by mistake.
On April 13, the parents of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl told him to pick up his siblings at a residence on 115th Terrace, but he ended up at a home in the 1100 block of 115th Street by mistake, where he was shot.
The teen was “shot twice and struck in the head and arm,” according to CNN. He was later hospitalized and listed in stable condition with a life-threatening injury.
“Despite the severity of his injuries and the seriousness of his condition, Ralph is alive and recovering,” Yarl’s attorneys, S. Lee Merritt and Benjamin Crump, said in the statement.
The attorneys also demanded “swift action from Clay County prosecutors and law enforcement to identify, arrest and prosecute to the full extent of the law the man responsible for this horrendous and unjustifiable shooting.”
Officers arrived at the home around 10 p.m. on April 13 and found the teen injured. The homeowner was taken to the police station to give a statement, but authorities haven’t released their identity or any other information.
Now, social media users and community members are wondering why the homeowner has not been arrested.
On Sunday, protestors chanted “justice for Ralph,” as they marched through the streets with signs that said, “Ringing a doorbell is not a crime” and “The shooter should do the time,” according to KMBC.
The People’s Coalition organized a rally at 3 p.m. at 401 NE Cookingham Drive, two blocks from the residence, to protest violence against Black youth.
“We recognize the frustration this can cause in the entire criminal justice process. The women and men of the Kansas City Police Department are working as expeditiously and as thoroughly as we can, to ensure the criminal justice process continues to advance as quickly as all involved and our community deserve,” Police Chief Stacey Graves said in a statement.
“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 recognise the racial components of this case,” she later added.
Ralph was a junior in high school, described by his family as a “fantastic kid” and one of the top base clarinet players in Missouri.
“Ralph was looking forward to graduating high school and finally getting the opportunity to visit West Africa before starting college. Life looks a lot different right now,” his family said.
We've been retained by Ralph Yarl & his family following the unjustifiable shooting of the 16-yo by an unidentified white male assailant. @MerrittForTexas & our legal team demand Clay County prosecutors & law enforcement swiftly identify, arrest, & prosecute the man responsible! pic.twitter.com/FmX2S7ZEZh
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) April 17, 2023
His name is #RalphYarl— a 16 y/o who went to the wrong address to pick up his siblings.
He was shot in the head by a white man who didn’t want him on his property. He shot him a 2nd time for emphasis.
Ralph is fighting for his life. This man must be arrested. We are on our way.
— Lee Merritt (@MerrittForTexas) April 16, 2023
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