KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The investigation into the shooting by a homeowner of Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager who went to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers, includes questions about whether it was racially motivated, authorities in Kansas City, Missouri, said.
Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said Monday that his office is working with police to quickly review the case and determine if the homeowner should be charged.
“We understand how frustrating this has been, but we can assure the public that the system is working,” Thompson said in a news release. “As with any serious case submitted to our office, we will approach this case in an objective and impartial manner.”
At a news conference on Sunday, Police Chief Stacey Graves acknowledged the outpouring of anger over the shooting.
“I want everyone to know that I am listening, and I understand the concern we are receiving from the community,” Graves said.
Yarl, 16, was identified online by relatives. He was shot Thursday night when he drove to a home a few blocks away from his own to pick up his twin younger brothers. He didn’t have a phone with him and went to the wrong block, his aunt, Faith Spoonmore, wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to help pay medical bills. By Monday morning, more than $1.1 million had been raised from 29,000 donations.
Spoonmore wrote that Yarl pulled into the driveway and rang the doorbell.
“The man in the home opened the door, looked my nephew in the eye, and shot him in the head,” Spoonmore wrote. When Yarl fell to the ground, “the man shot him again.”
Despite being shot twice, the teen was able to run to neighbors to seek help.
“Unfortunately, he had to run to 3 different homes before someone finally agreed to help him after he was told to lie on the ground with his hands up,” Spoonmore wrote.
Yarl is a gifted musician, a bass clarinetist who earned Missouri All-State Band honorable mention and who plays several instruments in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Kansas City, Spoonmore wrote. He’s also a member of his school’s Technology Student Association and Science Olympia Team. He hopes to attend Texas A&M to study chemical engineering.
Spoonmore said Yarl is “doing well physically” but has a lot of trauma to overcome emotionally.
“He is our miracle,” she said. “We have heard these types of stories many times, and unfortunately, most Black boys are not alive to get another chance.”
Police have not identified the shooter or his race, though civil rights attorney Ben Crump told The Kansas City Star the shooter appears to be white. Information that officials have now does not point to the shooting being racially motivated, but Graves said that aspect also remains under investigation.
Graves said investigators also will consider whether the suspect was protected by “Stand Your Ground” laws, which allow for the use of deadly force in self-defense. Missouri is among around 30 states with such laws.
