‘Such a relief’: Ralph Yarl’s father responds to charges in Kansas City teen’s shooting
On Sunday, the father of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl stood in front of the house where an 84-year-old man shot his son in the head and the arm and said, in a reserved voice among a chanting crowd of protesters, that he just wanted justice for his son.
On Monday, Clay County’s top prosecutor announced charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action against the homeowner, Andrew D. Lester.
“This is such a relief,” Paul Yarl, Ralph’s father, told The Star about an hour after the charges were made public. “I’m happy. This is what we’ve been looking for. It’s here.”
Yarl’s attorney advised him not to comment on any specific charges, but on Monday, Zachary Thompson noted that the assault charge is a class A felony which means, if found guilty, Lester faces at least 10 years and up to 30 years or life in prison.
The teen was shot Thursday when he mistakenly went to pick his younger twin brothers up from the wrong home in the Northland, going to the 1100 block of Northeast 115th Street instead of Northeast 115th Terrace, family and police said.
Though he was critically wounded, Ralph Yarl was released from the hospital on Sunday, his father said, and he remains at his mother’s Kansas City home recovering.
“He’s responsive. He’s responding and it’s a slow recovery, but he’s making good progress,” Paul Yarl said Monday evening.
While Ralph Yarl did walk from the hospital lobby to a vehicle when he was released, he needs to sit tight for awhile, Paul Yarl said.
“The focus is on healing, and we haven’t reached the point of asking him to talk or walk around,” he added.
There are signs of hope. When a former teacher of Ralph Yarl’s at Hawthorn Elementary School recently reached out asking the family’s permission to speak publicly about her former student, Paul Yarl said his son smiled and said, “Of course.”
As Ralph Yarl heals with the help of his mother, a nurse who is taking time off work to be by his side, his younger siblings are staying with a family member.
“They need to heal too,” Paul Yarl said. “They’re in shock.”
In the past four days, Ralph’s Yarl’s story and name has traveled from the mouths of Kansas Citians to the mouth of the leader of the United States. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said President Joe Biden spoke to Yarl and his family for about 20 minutes on Monday, telling him that he and the entire country are praying for him.
Yarl’s aunt, Faith Spoonmore, started a GoFundMe Sunday to raise money for Ralph’s medical bills and other expenses. As of Monday evening, more than $2 million had been raised.
“We are grateful, and I know Ralph is grateful too for the love and prayers and support,” Paul Yarl said.
Most of all, he’s grateful that his son is still on this Earth.
“We didn’t lose him,” Yarl said. “He’s still here.”
This story was originally published April 17, 2023 at 7:28 PM.
