Black teenager shot in the head after going to wrong house when picking up siblings
17 April 2023, 08:44
A black teenager was shot in the head by a homeowner in the US after he went to pick up his siblings but got the wrong address.
Ralph Yarl, 16, was shot on April 13 outside a house in Kansas. He was taken to hospital where he is described to be in stable condition.
The teenager’s parents had asked him to pick up his siblings at a property on 115th Terrace, but he went to 115th Street - where he was shot.
“Despite the severity of his injuries and the seriousness of his condition, Ralph is alive and recovering,” his attorneys said in a statement.
The homeowner was arrested and released pending further inquiries. Under Missouri state law, a person can be held for up to 24 hours for investigation until they must be either charged or released.
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His name is #RalphYarl and I’m sick and tired of this feeling…my heart completely broke when I learned this precious 16-year-old, who accidentally rang the door of the wrong address in an attempt to pick up his siblings, was shot in the head… (1/3) pic.twitter.com/4VaZo7EFVE
— Halle Berry (@halleberry) April 17, 2023
Hundreds of people joined a protest on Sunday outside the home where Ralph was shot.
“We demand 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,” a statement from the victim’s attorneys read.
Asked whether the shooting may have been racially motivated, Kansas City 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.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to pay Ralph’s medical bills - it has raised more than $529,000 so far.
According to the fundraising page, Ralph was looking forward to finishing ghih school and visiting West Africa before starting college where he hopes to study chemical engineering.
“Life looks a lot different right now. Even though he is doing well physically, he has a long road ahead mentally and emotionally. The trauma that he has to endure and survive is unimaginable,” the GoFundMe post states.
Halle Berry and Naomi Campbell have talked about the shooting with the Oscar winner calling for ‘appropriate charges’ for the homeowner.
On Instagram supermodel Naomi Campbell shared the devastating story with her 14.8m followers, along with harrowing pictures of Ralph in hospital.
The shooting was officially listed as a case of mistaken identity.
