Uncovering The ‘Racial Component’ In The Shooting Of Ralph Yarl Who Mistakenly Went To The Wrong House Once I have my title set, I can start on the content of my article.

On Monday, an 84-year-old white man from Kansas City, Missouri was charged for attacking a Black teen. The teen had unintentionally gone to the old man’s house because he thought it was where his younger brothers were staying.

At a news conference yesterday, Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said that the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl by Andrew Lester may have been racially motivated. But, according to documents, there is no evidence saying it certainly was. Thompson also made sure to tell everyone that the authorities are looking into this case and will keep investigating until they get to the bottom of it.

Recently, a woman in New York was shot and killed by the homeowner of an address she drove to by mistake. Meanwhile, a girl celebrating her birthday in Alabama said she begged her brother not to die as he was slipping away.

People all over the United States were angered by this shooting, with President Joe Biden even speaking out about it. Many, especially lawyers for the victim’s family, mentioned that race could be a factor in this tragedy.

Yarl, a smart student and member of the all-state band, got to the wrong house around 10 at night. When he arrived, Lester came to the door and shot Yarl twice – once in his forehead, and then in his arm. They never talked before or after the shooting; but when Yarl tried running away, he heard Lester tell him: “Don’t come back here!”

Yarl ran to multiple houses, desperately asking for help until he found somebody who called the police. The Vice President Kamala Harris said on Twitter that kids should not be scared of ringing doorbells. Also, Reverend Vernon Howard, the president of a Christian Leadership Conference in Kansas City, described this incident as “very bad and filled with hatred.” On Monday, the Missouri Senate held a moment of silence to honor Yarl.

The lawyers of Yarl’s family, Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, said that Biden had a call with them and provided his prayers for Ralph’s well-being and justice. Their statement also highlighted the need to end gun violence towards unarmed Black people – saying that children should feel safe instead of feeling hunted. On Tuesday evening, supporters of Yarl will hold a rally in Kansas City.

Lester was charged with an assault which could cause him to be put in prison for the rest of his life. He was also accused of armed criminal action and would then have to spend three to fifteen years in prison if convicted. However, Lester was not convicted of a hate crime since it’s considered a less serious charge than assault and the penalty is less severe.

Missouri is one of roughly 30 states with special laws that let you use deadly force if you need to defend yourself, but in this case, the shooting was not seen as a way to protect oneself. An arrest warrant was issued for the person responsible, but he hasn’t been caught yet.

Lester told police that he was in bed when he heard his doorbell go off. He grabbed his gun and saw a Black man trying to open his exterior storm door, which made Lester think somebody was breaking in. His phone number was not working on Monday night and it is unknown if he has someone to speak for him or not.

The shooting occurred on a typical neighborhood in North Kansas City.Yarl did not bring his phone with him and, as a consequence, went to the wrong house block. His aunt Faith Spoonmore set up a GoFundMe page which raised 1.4 million dollars by Monday night. The Police Chief Stacey Graves further stated that Yarl’s parents asked him to come pick up his brothers from 115th Terrace, however he mistakenly traveled towards 115th Street according to the Kansas City Star.

Yarl is a talented musician who got an honorable mention in the Missouri All-State Band and plays many instruments in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Kansas City. The North Kansas City School District said that Yarl was “a great student and an amazing musician”.

Although he is doing okay physically, there are still some emotional difficulties that he needs to work through.

The day after the shooting, someone had vandalized the house. The side of the house was covered in black paint with a red heart and the number 16 in its center. There were eggshells on the windows and door. We asked Republican Governor Mike Parson (who likes guns) to comment but he did not answer right away.

Crump, a lawyer who has represented the families of many people (like Trayvon Martin and George Floyd) who were shot by police officers, was curious why the person who shot at a 16-year-old was not arrested or charged. He said if it was a Black person instead that had done this to someone else, they would have definitely been put in jail straight away.

Two days after someone was shot, a 20-year-old woman was killed by a homeowner in Upstate New York. She had been in their car with three other people looking for a friend’s house. When the car turned around, Kevin Monahan came out and fired two bullets, one of which hit her. Monahan has been charged with murder.

Salter wrote a report from O’Fallon, Missouri. Nick Ingram in Kansas City and Summer Ballentine in Columbia, Missouri both helped out with the report.