MO - Ralph Yarl, 16, shot twice for ringing the doorbell at the wrong house by mistake, Kansas City, Apr 2023 *arrest*

[ChatteringBirds]

Unfortunately, I can understand the fear of an elderly man

That much fear because someone rang his doorbell? Really? I understand fear of actually answering to a stranger if home alone, so he could have just simply not answered the door.

 

[Marysmith]

So this guy didn’t even open the door? He shot right through it? Or maybe there’s the front door and in front of it is like a storm door that he shot through?

No words were exchanged. He was shot twice through the glass. Unbelievable!

 

[LaineyJ]

No words were exchanged. He was shot twice through the glass. Unbelievable!

I was just wondering if he had evened opened A door at all. It doesn’t really matter, because the guy had no right to shoot, I’m just curious.

But yeah shooting through a glass door? 0 threat to the homeowner, absolutely no grounds for self defense or whatever BS he/his lawyer may have tried to spin it. Happy to hear Ralph has gotten to go home, poor kid.

 

[Gut_feeling]

Just saw a similar case:

NY woman driven to wrong address fatally shot by homeowner

Authorities say a 20-year-old woman on her way to a friend’s house in upstate New York was driven to the wrong address and quickly shot to death by the homeowner. Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy said Monday that 65-year-old Kevin Monahan was arrested on a second-degree murder charge for...

apnews.com

And this shooter has been (rightly) charged with attempted murder. Unlike Ralph's shooter who has been charged with "assault and armed criminal action".

 

[LadyL]

I hope Ralph will be ok. This is shocking.

 

[airportwoman]

So far, the only Andrew D. Lester I'm seeing on Missouri Casenet is one who was involved in a divorce case in 1991. Maybe it hasn't been uploaded yet.

 

[acutename]

That much fear because someone rang his doorbell? Really? I understand fear of actually answering to a stranger if home alone, so he could have just simply not answered the door.

He is elderly- fears that whatever is happening is a trick and a home invasion, IMO. If you look up some home invasions perpetrated on the elderly- and it can be "same race," you will see what planted the fear. I have seen some in my local news and they are despicable, so here an innocent person bears the brunt of the fear and hatred. It is sad and while it seems that the young man will physically recover(?), he will probably never have the same innocent outlook IMO and if he is unlucky, he will be really scarred by the hate.

 

[rabidstoat]

He is elderly- fears that whatever is happening is a trick and a home invasion, IMO. If you look up some home invasions perpetrated on the elderly- and it can be "same race," you will see what planted the fear. I have seen some in my local news and they are despicable, so here an innocent person bears the brunt of the fear and hatred. It is sad and while it seems that the young man will physically recover(?), he will probably never have the same innocent outlook IMO and if he is unlucky, he will be really scarred by the hate.

I blame the presence of cable news for stoking up fear in people. I don't know why this man shot -- and to be fair I've not heard his side of the story though everything I have heard sounds really bad for him -- but I think cable news going on and on about crimes 24/7 can make people more paranoid and afraid.

Now an excuse, of course. An explanation not a justification. And maybe the old guy never watched the news and was just a crotchety old man or in the grips of dementia or just a racist sociopath or who knows.

 

[Gemmie]

That much fear because someone rang his doorbell? Really? I understand fear of actually answering to a stranger if home alone, so he could have just simply not answered the door.

I'm not buying it. I can use myself as an example. If the doorbell rings and I'm not expecting someone at that time, I'm simply not answering it, period. And I certainly wouldn't answer the door with a gun and shoot if someone is on the porch. I just don't answer the door (I've even unhooked the doorbell so it doesn't ring in the house. Been decades like that since the doorbell used to upset a cat of mine so much that she would snort like a bull when it rang with her tail agitatedly twitching from side to side. (actually it was Gem, who is my avatar. GEM stands for Green Eyed Monster. Nuff said. lol)

So due to that... I don't believe his "story". If he was that scared, he could have called 911 after determining there was a real threat. Such as someone walking around trying all the doors and windows which this kid did not do. I don't buy his excuse for 1 minute but that's MOO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

What is with these people just shooting innocent people who didn’t even do anything? Just want to feel powerful or what?

SYG laws has given free license to murderers. I'm sorry, they should all be in prison.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

I blame the presence of cable news for stoking up fear in people. I don't know why this man shot -- and to be fair I've not heard his side of the story though everything I have heard sounds really bad for him -- but I think cable news going on and on about crimes 24/7 can make people more paranoid and afraid.

Now an excuse, of course. An explanation not a justification. And maybe the old guy never watched the news and was just a crotchety old man or in the grips of dementia or just a racist sociopath or who knows.

Ignorance of crime doesn't prevent crime. For any one of these stories, there are probably many more in which people avoided danger by hearing a similar story on the news. I don't think we can blame the media for this.

MOO.

 

[Eloise]

What is with these people just shooting innocent people who didn’t even do anything? Just want to feel powerful or what?

Fear can be a very dangerous emotion

 

[ChatteringBirds]

"We have nothing to fear except fear itself." - Franklin D. Roosevelt.

 

[MrsWatson]

No words were exchanged before a White homeowner shot a Black teenager who rang his doorbell after going to the wrong house, according to statements to police | CNN

A White 84-year-old homeowner charged with shooting Ralph Yarl after the Black teen went to the wrong Kansas City address to pick up his siblings told police they didn't exchange words before he fired at him through a locked glass door -- and that he did so because he thought the teen was trying...

edition.cnn.com

 

[MrsWatson]

Good Samaritan who helped Ralph Yarl found him bloody and motionless

The man who held the hand and helped 16-year-old Kansas City shooting victim Ralph Yarl said 'he didn't deserve to get shot' and revealed what awful condition the boy was in when he found him.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Missouri home where black teen was shot had 'NO SOLICITORS' signs

New pictures show that the property had a sticker next to the doorbell warning trespassers to stay away, as well as a claim that the property was 'protected by surveillance cameras'.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[MrsWatson]

Man charged in front-door shooting of Black teen Ralph Yarl

Authorities say the investigation into the shooting of Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager who went to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers, includes questions about whether race played a role.

apnews.com

 

[louvillian08]

And this shooter has been (rightly) charged with attempted murder. Unlike Ralph's shooter who has been charged with "assault and armed criminal action".

I hope I'm interpreting this statute correctly but it appears Missouri doesn't have attempted murder charges? 565.050

Anyone feel free to correct me but this seems to say that first degree assault is an attempt to kill someone.

 

[Gut_feeling]

I hope I'm interpreting this statute correctly but it appears Missouri doesn't have attempted murder charges? 565.050

Anyone feel free to correct me but this seems to say that first degree assault is an attempt to kill someone.

Oh wow, I wasn't aware of that.

 

[Sarahlou]

This is outrageous. The poor lad. I hope he'll be okay.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

This is such a good interview w Ralph’s mom & Lee Merritt. What an amazing young man he is….he was doing everything right & gets shot for no reason. I’m sick that anyone could do this, it’s infuriating.

Mom of Ralph Yarl says he is 'replaying the situation over and over'

Cleo Nagbe said that her son Ralph Yarl is able to communicate 'when he feels like it' after being shot in the head and arm on April 13.

www.dailymail.co.uk