An attorney for Ralph Yarl, the black teenager shot in the head after accidentally ringing a doorbell in Kansas City, shared a sunny photo of his client Wednesday along with an encouraging health update.
Yarl’s doctors expect him to make a full but lengthy recovery, according to the post originally written by activist Shaun King and republished in full by Lee Merritt, the civil rights attorney who handled the case.
Yarl, 16, can be seen in sweatpants and a green T-shirt on what appears to be a back deck next to a grinning Merritt.
“He’s home and looking good. Ralph is a MARKETPLACE MIRACLE with a head of steel,” King wrote. He noted that the teenager suffered a traumatic brain injury that could have been fatal if the bullet had hit a little differently.
Yarl also spoke on the phone with President Joe Biden for “nearly an hour,” King revealed, writing that the president “warmly encouraged Ralph.”
“[Biden] asked Ralph big questions about his musical background and shared stories about his family playing similar instruments. She asked Ralph about his mother and family and shared heartwarming stories about his mother and family. They talked about universities, the world and more,” King wrote.
“The family expected the call to last 2-3 minutes, but they enjoyed talking to each other so much that it ended up being about an hour,” she said, adding: “It was an amazing and special moment. Ralph was invited to the White House.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke with the teenager, who was introduced to a black therapist who is counseling the family this week, King said.
Yarl’s aunt Faith Spoonmore, who set up a GoFundMe page for her nephew earlier this week, posted an update saying he can “walk and communicate.”
“Quite a miracle, considering what survived,” Spoonmore wrote. “Every day is different. He has a long way to go. However, we are very grateful that he is still here with us. I took the time to read Ralph’s emails and comments. It warms our hearts to see him smile at all the kind words.”
“Thank you so much for loving Ralph,” she said.
Spoonmore previously described Yarl as a “cool guy” with a talent for music: he played the bass clarinet among other instruments and hoped his ability would help him get a college scholarship to study chemical engineering.
The horrific shooting made international headlines as gun violence continues to plague the United States, where firearms far outnumber residents. Two other cases of young men shot on sight just days after Yarl’s injury — one in New York state and another in Texas — further underscored the problem.
Police say an 84-year-old white man, Andrew Daniel Lester, shot Yarl through the glass door after the teenager approached the wrong house just before 10 p.m. on April 13.
Officers did not immediately arrest Lester, who invoked in his defense Missouri’s “stand your ground” law, which provides broad protections to people who say they acted violently in self-defense.
Prosecutors charged Lester with assault on Monday; He pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.
Yarl’s mother had asked him to pick up his younger twin brothers at an address on Northeast 115th Street, but he instead went to Northeast 115th Terrace, a block away. He was shot in the left side of the forehead and right arm, according to a Kansas City Police Department report.
Lester told police he was “scared to death” by the black person he thought was trying to break into his home. However, Yarl told police he didn’t even try to pull the handle. He said he just rang the bell and waited for someone to answer; Lester said he was in bed at the time.
Yarl then ran and called neighbors for help before being rushed to a children’s hospital.
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