Teen Musician in Recovery From Missouri Shooting

Ralph Yarl, a young bass clarinetist, is recovering from life-threatening injuries after being shot twice by a homeowner

Police have reported that on April 13, 2023, 16-year-old Ralph Pual Yarl was allegedly shot in the head and arm, after mistakenly arriving at the wrong house to pick up his twin siblings from a friend’s house. 

He was asked by his parents to go to an address on 115th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri, but instead arrived at a residence on 115th Street — where he was shot at the door by an 85-year-old white man, Andrew Lester, at around 10 PM local time.

After being discharged from the hospital after three days, Yarl’s condition has improved, his father told the Kansas City Star. Yarl’s uncle also created a gofundme page to support his nephew, which has raised over $2.6 million from almost 80,000 donations.

“Ralph is an excellent student and talented musician,” read a statement from the North Kansas City School District. “He maintains a stellar GPA while taking mostly college level courses. While he loves science and hopes to pursue that career path, his passion is music.”

Described by his teachers as a “kind soul” and a “musical genius,” Yarl is a member of the Technology Student Association and Science Olympiad Team and the Jazz and Competition band at his school. 

He is a section leader in the marching band and recently earned recognition at the Missouri All-State Band with an honorable mention. Playing multiple instruments in Kansas City’s Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, he is also a 2022 Missouri Scholar’s Academy alumni. 

According to the gofundme page, all donations will go toward Yarl’s medical bills, therapy, and college tuition, among other related expenses. 

“Ralph can often be found with a musical instrument. He loves them all,”  Yarl’s aunt wrote. “[He] 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.

Protests were held for two days after the shooting. The perpetrator is facing two felony charges of first-degree felony assault and first-degree armed criminal action for shooting Yarl and will face a life sentence in prison, if convicted. 

“‘Justice delayed is justice denied.’ We are relieved that charges are finally moving forward but are disappointed in the delay that necessitated national outcry for an obvious crime,” wrote the civil rights attorneys for Yarl’s family, Lee Merritt and Ben Crump in a press release. “We are cautiously optimistic about accountability and justice.”

“No child should ever live in fear of being shot for ringing the wrong doorbell,” added U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris.