A 16-year-old in Kansas City was shot after going to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers.
Police say Ralph Yarl was picking up his twin brothers from a friend's house on Thursday night when he was shot by a homeowner.
Yarl suffered a life-threatening injury, but is in stable condition.
While police haven't released specific details in the case, Yarl's aunt wrote on a GoFundMe page that the shooting happened just blocks away from the teenager's home.
"He mistakenly went to the wrong house, one block away from the house where his siblings were. He pulled into 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. My nephew fell to the ground, and the man shot him again. Ralph was then able to get up and run to the neighbor's house, looking for help," Faith Spoonmore wrote. "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 shooter was taken into custody, but later released. Police are gathering information before announcing any charges.
"After consulting with the Clay County Prosecutor's Office, the homeowner was released pending further investigation, due to the need to obtain a formal statement from the victim, forensic evidence and compile additional information for a case file to be presented," Police Chief Stacey Graves said during a news conference on Sunday. "A person can be held up for 24 hours for investigation of a felony, at which time they're required by Missouri law to be charged or released... In this case, the prosecutor requires more information from investigators that would require more than 24 hours to compile."
Due to Yarl's injuries, detectives haven't been able to get his victim statement, though Graves said a formal statement is planned once possible.
"As soon as the case is complete, it will be presented to Clay County prosecutors for their review," Graves said. "We recognize the frustration this can cause in the entire criminal justice process. The women and men of the Kansas City Police Department are working as expeditiously and as thoroughly as we can to ensure the criminal justice process can advance as quickly as all involved and our community deserve."
Although Yarl is black and the homeowner is reportedly white, investigators say there's no indication at this point the shooting was racially motivated.
"We want the community to know we are committed to justice in this case and every case and work every day to seek that justice for all victims of all crimes," Graves said. "I want everyone to know that I'm listening and I understand the concern that we are receiving from the community."
Hundreds of community members protested on Yarl's behalf on Sunday. The teen's family has also retained renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump -- who has represented families in several high-profile cases including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Tyre Nichols -- and Texas-based Lee Merritt -- known for representing the families and victims of police brutality nationwide.
"There can be no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect after admitted to shooting an unarmed, non-threatening and defenseless teenager that rang his doorbell," Crump and Merritt said in a joint statement. "We demand swift action from Clay County prosecutors and law enforcement to identify, arrest and prosecute to the full extent of the law the man responsible for this horrendous and unjustifiable shooting."
Spoonmore described Yarl as an academic who is looking forward to graduating and has a goal of attending Texas A&M to major in chemical engineering.
"He is a member of the Technology Student Association and Science Olympia Team. Jazz and competition band. He is a section leader in the marching band; a scholar and one of the top base clarinet players in Missouri. He recently earned Missouri All-State Band recognition with an honorable mention. He plays multiple instruments in the metropolitan youth orchestra. He is a 2022 Missouri scholar academy alumni," she wrote on the GoFundMe page. "Ralph's teacher and friends describe him as 'a kind soul,' 'quiet,' 'friendly,' 'well-mannered,' 'always willing to help,' 'super smart,' and a 'musical genius.'"
While Yarl is "doing well physically," Spoonmore said he "has a long road ahead mentally and emotionally."
"The trauma that he has to endure and survive is unimaginable. He is our miracle," she wrote. "Ralph deserves to have the future that he has dreams about. He deserves to be the light that shows the world that LOVE wins and that humanity is still Good."
In less than 24 hours, the account raised more than $1.3 million from more than 35,000 contributors. Spoonmore said the funds will be used "for college expenses at Texas A&M, a trip to West Africa, and other expenses."
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