Protests erupted last weekend in Missouri over the shooting death of a 16-year-old black teenager whose family said he was shot in the head after going to the wrong house to pick up his twin brother.
Ralph Yahl was allegedly shot by a homeowner outside his Kansas City residence on Thursday when he arrived. go fund me Created by his aunt Faith Spoonmore, Jarl accidentally went to a house a block away from where he was supposed to pick up his brother. When he pulled over in the driveway and rang the doorbell, the homeowner shot him twice, one of which shot him in the head, his aunt said.
According to Spoonmore, Jarl ran to three different homes after being shot before one of his neighbors finally agreed to help him and was told to lie on the ground with his hands up. .
At a press conference on Sunday, KCPD chief Stacey Graves said the suspect was taken into custody after the incident and the gun was seized. The suspect was held for 24 hours and released pending further investigation, Graves said.
The suspect has not been charged. Graves said formal statements and further evidence must be gathered from the victims before the case can be turned over to prosecutors.
“Most cases involving violent crimes continue until the suspect is released and further investigations take place. said Graves. “We recognize that this can cause frustration throughout the criminal justice process.”
Graves did not disclose the suspect’s race or gender, but attorneys Lee Merritt and Ben Crump, who represent Jarl and his family, said they Said The homeowner must be white.
Graves said the information they have does not indicate the shooting was racistly motivated, but police are still investigating.
“However, as the chief of police, I am aware of the racial component of this case,” she added.
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the shooter’s home in Kansas City on Sunday chant“Stand up, fight back!”
Spoonmore, who live-streamed from the protest on Instagram, spoke with a woman who lived near the house where Jarl was shot. He said he saw him there.
“This was the child this man tried to assassinate,” she said. “He shot him twice. was made.”
jointly statement After being released on Sunday, Merritt and Crump called for the Clay County Attorney’s Office to take immediate action on the case.
“There is no excuse to release this armed and dangerous suspect after he admits to shooting an unarmed, non-threatening, defenseless teenager who rang the doorbell,” they said. Those responsible for this horrific and unjustified shooting will be identified, arrested, and prosecuted within the limits of the law.”
