Black teenager, 16, shot in head by homeowner after ringing doorbell at wrong house
Ali Condon
Featured Image Credit: Facebook
A Black teenage boy has been shot in the head in Kansas City, Missouri, after accidentally going to the wrong house to pick up his little brothers.
Ralph Yarl, who is just 16 years old, was shot twice - once in the head, and a second time after he fell to the ground, according to a GoFundMe page set up to fund his recovery.
It's understood that Ralph's parents asked him to pick up his twin younger brothers at 115th Terrace, but he accidentally went to 115th Street, where he was shot down.
Police responded to reports of a shooting on 13 April, and arrived to find the young boy outside the residence.
Advert
Ralph is now being treated in hospital. According to police, he was dealing with a life-threatening injury, but is now in a stable condition.
According to to the GoFundMe page, which is believed to be set up by Ralph's aunt Faith Spoonmore, she had to knock at three different homes before someone called for help - but only when Ralph laid on the ground with his hands up.
The homeowner, who has not yet been named publicly, was taken into custody and held for 24 hours.
They have since been released pending further investigation, as Kansas City Police need a formal statement form the victim, and to gather more forensic evidence.
In the state of Missouri, law enforcement requires such evidence in order to make an arrest, but because of Ralph's injuries he hasn't yet been able to make a statement.
Asked by press whether or not the shooting had been racially charged, police chief Stacey Graves said: "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."
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who will be representing Ralph's family, told press: "It is inescapable not to acknowledge the racial dynamics at play."
Previously, Mr Crump has worked on cases like Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, and Michael Brown.
Another statement from Graves assured upset members of the public: "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."
Protesters have been marching in Kansas City in response to the devastating incident, chanting 'Black lives matter' and 'Justice for Ralph'.
According to the GoFundMe page, which has raised $1,065,340 so far at the time of writing, Ralph is a stellar student, who's a leader in his school's marching band, one of the top base clarinet players in Missouri, a member of the Science Olympia team and the Technology Student Association, and the metropolitan youth orchestra.
He also plans to attend Texas A&M to major in chemical engineering.
All funds raised will go toward Ralph's medical bills and the therapy he will need to overcome the trauma of such a harrowing experience.