Lawyers for Family of Kansas City Teen Shot After Ringing Wrong Doorbell Call for Arrest of Shooter

Lawyers for the family of a Kansas City, Missouri teenager who was shot after accidentally ringing the wrong doorbell when picking up his younger siblings are calling for the arrest and prosecution of the shooter.

Per a report from regional outlet KSHB, 16-year-old Ralph Yarl had been asked by his parents last Thursday to pick up his siblings, at which point he “mistakenly ended up” at the wrong address. Per Yarl’s aunt, Dr. Faith Spoonmore, the teen is currently recovering in a local hospital.

“He is alive and he is healing,” she said when joining peaceful protesters on Sunday.

Civil rights attorneys Lee Merritt and Ben Crump have now been retained by the victim and his family. In a press release issued over the weekend, the attorneys called for “swift action” with regards to holding the shooter accountable.

“There can be no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect after admitting to shooting an unarmed, non-threatening and defenseless teenager that rang his doorbell,” Merritt and Crump said in a joint statement. “We demand swift action from Clay County prosecutors and law enforcement to identify, arrest, and prosecute to the full extent of the law the man responsible for this horrendous and unjustifiable shooting.”

At the time of this writing, the identity of the shooter had not been formally announced. In Merritt and Crump’s press release, the shooter was described as “an unidentified white male assailant.”

At a press conference on Sunday, Chief Stacey Graves of the Kansas City Police Department said the shooting in question took place on the evening of April 13.

“The teen was transported to a local hospital for his injuries,” Graves said. “The homeowner was taken into custody and placed on a 24-hour investigative hold. Detectives and crime scene personnel immediately responded, processed the scene, and recovered the firearm. After consulting with the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office, the homeowner was released pending further investigation due to the need to obtain a formal statement from the victim, forensic evidence, and compile additional information for a case file to be presented.”

Per Graves, state law allows for a 24-hour hold in felony investigations. After 24 hours, Graves said, individuals are required to be charged or released.

“In this case, the prosecutor requires more information from investigators that would take more than 24 hours to compile,” she said.

Complex has reached out to the offices of Merritt and Crump, as well as to a police rep, for additional comment. This story may be updated.

As highlighted by the attorneys on social media, a GoFundMe has been set up in support of the victim’s family.