A teenager was shot in the head while picking up his siblings because he knocked on the wrong door, police in the US have said. Talented bass clarinet player Ralph Yarl, 16, was collecting his two brothers in his hometown in Kansas City, when he mistakenly went to N.E. 115th Street – not N.E. 115th Terrace.
When Mr Yarl arrived at the wrong address, the homeowner opened fire on the boy, according to Kansas City Police.
Mr Yarl is recovering in hospital after suffering life-threatening injuries from the shooting.
The homeowner was taken into custody and released after 24 hours.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said the Clay County prosecutor’s office is ready to take over the case as police continue to collect evidence.
She said: “We recognise the frustration this can cause with the entire criminal justice process.
“As soon as the case is complete, it will be presented to the Clay County prosecutors for their review.”
The shooting has officially been listed as a case of mistaken identity, with Ms Greaves saying that forensic evidence and a victim statement are still needed.
Mr Yarl aspires to study chemical engineering at Texas A&M University, and has reportedly been described by his friends as a “musical genius” due to his talents as a bass clarinet player.
Mr Yarl’s auntie, Faith Spoonmore, said that her nephew had planned to go to a home just around the corner from the address where he was shot.
Ms Spoonmore also demanded that there be justice for the shooting of her nephew: “He is our miracle. We have heard these types of stories many times, and unfortunately, most black boys are not alive to get another chance.
“You don’t shoot a child in the head because he rang your doorbell.”
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Protests have also begun near the scene of the shooting as locals also claim Mr Yarl was targeted because of his race.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the case was getting “the full attention of the Kansas City Police Department”.
He added: “This is not something that has been dismissed, marginalised or diminished in any way.”
Meanwhile, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump has claimed that the homeowner should be charged for the shooting.
He told the Kansas City Star: “You can’t just shoot people without having justification when somebody comes knocking on your door and knocking on your door is not justification.”
His family has set up a GoFundMe page to cover the medical expenses that have come as a result of the shooting.
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