Ralph Yarl shooting – live: Protests unfold in Kansas City over Black teen shot for going to wrong house
Protests have broken out in Kansas City after a white homeowner shot a Black teenager in the head when the boy went to the wrong house to pick up his younger twin brothers.
Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior, went to collect his siblings from a friend’s house on 115th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri, on the evening of 13 April, according to Kansas City Police.
Police said the teenager accidentally went to a home on 115th Street by mistake and the homeowner – an unidentified white man – shot him twice in the head and arm.
The teenager remained in a stable condition in hospital as of Sunday night.
The suspect, who has not been named by authorities, was initially taken into custody on Thursday and placed on a 24-hour hold. However, under Missouri state law, he had to be released after 24 hours as no charges were brought.
The shooting – which marks the latest in a growing number of shootings of Black people in America – sparked protests in Kansas City on Sunday the victim’s family, represented by civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, is demanding justice.
Shooter is released without charge
14:30 , Rachel Sharp
The white homeowner who shot Ralph Yarl on Thursday has been released without charge.
The shooter, who has not been named by authorities, was initially taken into custody on Thursday and placed on a 24-hour hold.
However, under Missouri state law, a person can only be held for 24 hours on suspicion of a felony before officials must either charge or release them.
The suspect was released pending further investigation.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said at a press conference on Sunday that – due to Ralph’s injuries – police had been unable to get a formal statement from the victim.
What happened to Ralph Yarl?
14:25 , Rachel Sharp
Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior, had gone to collect his siblings from their friend’s house on 115th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri, on the evening of 13 April, according to Kansas City Police.
Police said that the teenager got muddled up with the address and accidentally went to a home on 115th Street by mistake.
Ralph allegedly rang the doorbell and the homeowner – an unidentified white man – opened fire on him.
Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, the prominent civil rights attorneys now representing the victim and his family, said that the aspiring Texas A&M University student was shot twice – once in the head and once in the arm.
Following the shooting, Ralph managed to stumble to some other homes to get help, according to his family.
“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,” the family said in a GoFundMe page.
Officers responded to reports of a shooting and arrived to find the teenager outside with gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to hospital where he was in a stable condition as of Sunday night, police said.
FULL STORY: White homeowner walks free after shooting Black teenager in the head for ‘ringing wrong doorbell’
14:18 , Rachel Sharp
A white homeowner has walked free from police custody after shooting a Black teenager in the head when the boy went to the wrong house to pick up his younger twin brothers.
Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior, had gone to collect his siblings from their friend’s house on 115th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri, on the evening of 13 April, according to Kansas City Police.
Police said that the teenager got muddled up with the address and accidentally went to a home on 115th Street by mistake.
Ralph allegedly rang the doorbell and the homeowner – an unidentified white man – opened fire on him.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Homeowner shoots Black teenager in the head for ‘ringing wrong doorbell’
Welcome to The Independent’s liveblog on the shooting of Ralph Yarl
14:16 , Rachel Sharp
Follow along for all the latest updates
