Kansas City Teenager Shot By Homeowner Recovers At Home

16-year-old Ralph Yarl is recovering at home as the legal system begins the process of holding the 84-year-old white homeowner who shot him accountable.

Andrew Lester is facing first-degree assault and armed criminal action charges. The prosecuting attorney Zachary Thompson said the case has a “racial component” to it, but he has not elaborated.

Ralph’s aunt, Dr. Faith Spoonmore, has served as the family’s spokesperson along with civil rights attorneys Benjamin Crump and S. Lee Merritt.

Spoonmore has expressed the family’s gratitude that her nephew “is alive.” The talented musician and aspiring chemical engineer has a brain injury but is communicating and receiving care at home. His mother is reportedly a nurse.

The outrage over the shooting of a teenager who mistakenly rang a homeowner’s doorbell has galvanized Americans and people all around the world. Journalist Shaun King established a GoFundMe account that has raised close to $3 million.

On his Facebook page, King wrote, “Over 81,000 of you decided to show up and support this brilliant young king in his moment of need … Our dream for Ralph is that this money makes his life, and his physical and mental recovery, easier for a very long time.”

Image Credits: Shaun King.