The family of a 16-year-old boy is demanding hate crime charges against the white man who shot him twice in the head after the teenager went to the wrong address to pick up his younger siblings from a friend's house.
The boy, identified as Ralph Yarl, mistakenly went to the wrong house in a Kansas City neighborhood on Thursday night, according to police.
Yarl was scheduled to pick the siblings up at around 10:30 p.m. on N.E. 115th Terrace – but the teen mistakenly went to N.E. 115th Street and was met at the door with gunshots, according to Kansas City police. Yarl suffered life-threatening injuries from the gunshots and was rushed to a hospital where he is still recovering.
Homeowner Taken into Custody, Released After 24 Hours
The alleged gunman, who has not been identified, was taken into custody and brought to a police station to give a statement. Placed on a 24-hour hold, he was released pending further investigation, something the chief of the Kansas City Police Department spent much of a short Sunday press conference justifying.
"The vast majority of cases to include violent crime involve the suspect being released pending further investigation," Chief Stacey Graves said. "In this case, the prosecutor requires more information from investigators that would take more than 24 hours to compile throughout the weekend."
"We recognize the frustration this can cause with the entire criminal justice process," Graves said. "As soon as the case is complete, it will be presented to the Clay County prosecutors for their review." The shooting was officially listed as a case of mistaken identity.
"We want the community to know that we are committed to justice in this case and every case and work everyday to seek that justice for all victims of all crimes," Graves said, adding that she personally was "listening" and understood the community's "concern."
Yarl Had to Run to 3 Different Homes Before Someone Helped Him After Being Shot
The boy, Ralph Yarl, "mistakenly went to the wrong house" in a Kansas City neighborhood on Thursday, according to a GoFundMe set up by his aunt to handle medical expenses.
Yarl pulled up 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," his aunt, Faith Spoonmore, wrote. "My nephew fell to the ground, and the man shot him again."
Still conscious, Yarl ran for help, but Spoonmore alleged that he "had to run to 3 different homes" before someone came to his aid, and then only after ordering the 16-year-old to lie on the ground with his hands up. He was hospitalized, but "has a long road ahead mentally and emotionally," the fundraiser page reads.
On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of protesters gathered to demonstrate outside of the alleged gunman's home on 115th Street—a short drive from 115th Terrace, the friend's house where Yarl's brothers had actually been located.
"This was not an 'error.' This is a hate crime," she posted on Instagram soon after the incident. "You don't shoot a child in the head because he rang your doorbell."
Yarl pulled up 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," his aunt, Faith Spoonmore, wrote. "My nephew fell to the ground, and the man shot him again."
Still conscious, Yarl ran for help, but Spoonmore alleged that he "had to run to 3 different homes" before someone came to his aid, and then only after ordering the 16-year-old to lie on the ground with his hands up. He was hospitalized, but "has a long road ahead mentally and emotionally," the fundraiser page reads.
