Teen Shot in the Head & Critically Wounded by Home Owner After Going to the Wrong House

Several Kansas City citizens are protesting the shooting of Ralph Yarn, 16, that has left him in critical condition. Ralph reportedly knocked on the wrong door when picking up his younger brothers and was shot twice by the homeowner. According to CNN, the "Police learned the teenager's parents had asked him to pick up his siblings at an address on 115th Terrace, but he accidentally went to a home on 115th Street, where he was shot, according to police."

Because the teen is a black male and the homeowner is a white male, community members feel the crime is racially motivated. The teen's family has retained attorney Ben Crump for representation; according to CBS News, he stated, "You can't just shoot people without having justification when somebody comes knocking on your door and knocking on your door is not justification. This guy should be charged," said attorney Crump.

Photo/The Kansas City Star

The Yarn family has set up a GoFundMe to help with unexpected expenses and his hospitalization. The 16-year-old's aunt, Faith Spoonmore, wrote the following statement online: "Ralph Pual Yarl was on his way to pick up his younger twin brothers from their friend's house a few blocks away from his house. He didn't have his phone. He mistakenly went to the wrong house, one block away from the house where his siblings were. He pulled into the driveway and rang the doorbell. The man in the home opened the door, looked my nephew in the eye, and shot him in the head. My nephew fell to the ground, and the man shot him again. Ralph was then able to get up and run to the neighbor's house, looking for help. Unfortunately, he had to run to 3 different homes before someone finally agreed to help him after he was told to lie on the ground with his hands up."

Yarn is in the hospital recovering from his injuries. Authorities have not made an arrest yet, because they have not obtained a statement from the minor about the arrest. Kansas City authorities are not releasing the homeowner's name. The Kansas City police allegedly took the shooter into custody and placed him on a 24-hour hold.

To follow updates on this story and other news, please subscribe to Volume82.com.