Kansas City is reeling from news of the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who was shot twice by an 84-year-old homeowner, Andrew Lester, on April 13th (Fox News). Yarl had mistakenly gone to the wrong house while attempting to pick up his twin brothers from a friend’s house in the Northland neighborhood of Kansas City (KCUR).
Lester, who is white, has been charged with two felonies, assault in the first degree and armed criminal action, and has since bonded out (CNN). The shooting has brought a wave of anger from the Staley High School, where Yarl is a junior, with students holding a protest outside the school in response (The New York Times).
Yarl’s family is also speaking out, with his mother saying Yarl was a “bucket of tears” (AP News). In an interview with his attorney, Benjamin Crump, it was revealed that Yarl was critically injured from the shooting and underwent surgery (CNN).
The shooting has also raised questions about racial tensions in the area, with the victim being black and the shooter white. Yarl’s family has hired lawyers to represent them, and they have called for justice to be served (The New York Times).
While the investigation is ongoing, the shooting of Ralph Yarl has once again brought the issue of gun violence to the forefront of conversations in Kansas City and beyond.
