Thousands are rallying around Ralph Yarl, a Black 16-year-old boy who was shot by an elderly white man in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 13.
Yarl was on his way to pick up his younger brothers from a friend’s home on 115th Terrace but mistakenly arrived at a house on 115th Street, according to Kansas City Police. When the teen knocked on the door, the homeowner—a white man in his 80s—shot him twice, reportedly in the head and arm.
A GoFundMe organized by the teen’s aunt, Faith Spoonmore, has garnered nearly $2.8 million from over 73,900 donors for Yarl, who was in “critical condition” when he was taken to the hospital but “is alive and recovering,” according to a statement released by civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Yarl was released from the hospital on Monday.
“There can be no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect after admitting to shooting an unarmed, non-threatening and defenseless teenager that rang his doorbell,” Crump, who is representing Yarl and his family, said in the statement.
CNN reports that police had taken the man into custody before midnight on April 13 and released him less than two hours later. The New York Times now reports that on Monday, prosecutor Zachary Thompson announced that the shooter had been charged with assault in the first degree and, if convicted, could face life in prison. He has also been charged with armed criminal action.
At a press conference on Sunday, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said there was no current evidence that that shooting was racially motivated. “That’s still an active investigation,” Graves said. “But as a chief of police, I do recognize the racial components of this case.”
Others aren’t so convinced. Over the weekend, hundreds participated in protests across Kansas City, with many linking Yarl’s assault to the institutional violence that is disproportionately inflicted on Black people living in the U.S.
“You sent your son to go get your siblings and he almost didn’t come back,” one speaker told a crowd during a protest on Sunday, KMBC 9 News reported. “We’re here for Ralph. We’re here for every other Black boy.”
In her GoFundMe description, Spoonmore describes her nephew as “a fantastic kid” heavily involved in his high school’s extracurriculars and academic life as “a section leader in the marching band” and a 2022 Missouri Scholars Academy alumni. She adds that he “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. Even though he is doing well physically, he has a long road ahead mentally and emotionally,” she wrote. “The trauma that he has to endure and survive is unimaginable. He is our miracle. We have heard these types of stories many times, and unfortunately, most black boys are not alive to get another chance.”
GoFundMe donations will go towards his medical bills and therapy; additional funds will be used for his college expenses and a trip to West Africa.
As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers' rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.
