Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager who was shot last week after going to the wrong house while trying to pick up his siblings, is struggling emotionally as he recovers from his injuries, according to his mother. The shooter, an 84-year-old white man, has officially been charged, and the prosecutor confirmed there’s a “racial component.” The details are inside…
On April 13, 84-year-old Andrew Lester, a white homeowner in Kansas City, shot 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager.
Ralph was reportedly shot Thursday evening after his parents asked him to pick up his 11-year-old twin brothers, and he mistakenly went to a home in the 1100 block of Northeast 115th Street instead of Northeast 115th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri, police said.
The 16-year-old Black teen was shot twice through the glass of the front door, just a block away from where his younger twin brothers were waiting. He never stepped foot in the homeowner’s home.
The young, black teen is struggling to come to terms with his traumatic experience. His mother, Cleo Nagbe, spoke to “CBS Mornings” anchor Gayle King, sitting alongside the family’s attorney Lee Merritt, about how her son is recovering after being shot in the arm and left frontal lobe above his left eye.
Despite the bullet being removed, the “residual effect” of the injury will stick with him “for quite some time.”
She said Ralph is able to communicate “when he feels like it,” but “mostly he just sits there.”
Cleo added that her son, who has been described as a “gentle soul,” constantly replays the traumatic incident in his mind, and despite her best efforts, she feels helpless to comfort him.
”You can see that he is just replaying the situation over and over again. And that just doesn’t stop my tears either, because when you see your kid just sits there and constantly he just— tears are just rolling from both sides of his eyes, there’s nothing you can say to him,” Ralph’s mother said.
Cleo Nagbe told @GayleKing that her son, 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, is crying “buckets of tears” as he recovers from two gunshot wounds.
She said Ralph is “replaying the situation over and over again.” pic.twitter.com/RkOG34FqtE
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) April 18, 2023
Ralph was released from the hospital on Sunday, April 16.
As Ralph recuperates at home, he has a team of medical professionals surrounding him, including his mother, who has nearly 20 years of nursing experience, as well as his aunt and uncle.
Ralph’s mother went on to recount the events leading up to the shooting, revealing that Ralph’s younger twin brothers were originally supposed to spend the night at a friend’s house. However, Cleo was hesitant to let them stay and instead instructed them to return home by 10 p.m. When the time approached, she asked Yarl to pick up his siblings. Unfortunately, Yarl left without his phone and mistakenly went to the wrong address.
“He went and rang the doorbell. And he was supposed to stay outside, and his brothers were supposed to run outside, get in the car and they come home,” Cleo explained. “While he was standing there, his brothers didn’t run outside, but he got a couple of bullets in his body instead of a couple of twins coming up, out, and giving him a hug.”
The shooter, 84-year-old Andrew D. Lester (pictured above), has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. Both charges are felonies. The shooter was originally placed on a 24-hour hold after the shooting, and then he was released. He wasn’t charged until four days later.
Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson revealed that there was a “racial component” to the case, but he did not provide further details.
Lee Merritt, the attorney representing Ralph Yarl and his family, expressed his desire to learn more about the “racial component” when he meets with Prosecutor Zachary Thompson later on Tuesday. The family is puzzled as to why attempted murder was not included and intends to discuss the possibility of civil rights violations, specifically concerning due process, with federal prosecutors and investigators.
Cleo said she and Ralph often “argue” about him putting the sheet music down to finish his English class assignments, which are “boring” to him because it’s the only class he’s taking that’s not a college-level class, so it’s boring for him. Ralph, who is a junior at Staley High School in Kansas City, is a talented clarinettist and a gifted student who wants to study chemical engineering in college.
”He maintains a stellar GPA while taking mostly college level courses,” Dan Clemens, the superintendent of North Kansas City Schools, said. “While he loves science and hopes to pursue that career path, his passion is music. Thankfully, we know he is now recovering alongside family.”
By the way, Yale University asked Ralph to apply to the school TWICE.
Watch the full interview below:
The GoFundMe campaign set up to provide assistance for Ralph has garnered an incredible $3 million in donations! You can donate here.
Last night, I had a chance to call Ralph Yarl and his family.
No parent should have to worry that their kid will be shot after ringing the wrong doorbell. We’ve got to keep up the fight against gun violence.
And Ralph, we’ll see you in the Oval once you feel better. pic.twitter.com/mPXiM1X6nK
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 18, 2023
On Monday (April 17), President Joe Biden spoke with Ralph Yarl and wished him a speedy recovery. During the call, POTUS offered his prayers for Ralph’s health and justice to the family. He also invited Ralph to the White House once he recovers.
Sending up prayers and well-wishes that Ralph Yarl makes a full recovery. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.
Photo: Ben Crump Law via AP
