Outrage Builds After Ralph Yarl's Shooter Is Released

Outrage is building in Kansas City after a white homeowner shot a Black teenager who did nothing but ring his assailant's doorbell — and the shooter has yet to be charged with a crime.

Ralph Yarl, 16, arrived at the house in north Kansas City on Thursday night. He'd been instructed by his parents to pick up his siblings at a house on the 1100 block of Northeast 115th Terrace. Yarl instead knocked on the door of a house on the 1100 block of Northeast 115th Street, not far away.
The homeowner then shot Yarl through the door's glass, hitting him in the head. When Yarl was on the ground and bleeding, the homeowner shot him again.

Yarl was taken to the hospital where an attorney hired by his family describes the teen as "alive and recovering." However, the statement released by civil rights attorney Ben Crump adds that Yarl's condition is serious and his injuries severe.

The shooter was taken to a police station where he gave a statement before being released. He has not been charged with any crime and his identity has not been released by authorities.

The story of Yarl's shooting and the shooter's release from custody has sparked protests in Kansas City. People have gathered at the site of the shooting calling for the shooter's arrest. The story has also gotten significant traction on social media, with many celebrities and politicians calling for the shooter's arrest. Some say the incident should be treated as a hate crime.

A GoFundMe set up by Yarl's aunt said that the wounded teen had to go to three different houses before anyone would help him — and even then he was told to lie on the ground with his hands up. Donations totaling $1.12 million have already poured in, and the number continues to grow.

At a press conference yesterday, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves told reporters that Yarl is too severely injured to give a statement to police.

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