Homeowner charged for shooting teen Ralph Yarl | USA TODAY

Prosecuting attorney Zachary Thompson said there was a “racial component” in the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in Kansas City.

RELATED: Oklahoma officials accused of threats to kill reporter, racist remarks

Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said at a news conference that there was a “racial component” to the incident last Thursday night. Yarl is recovering at home after being released Sunday from the hospital. But nothing in the charging documents says the shooting was racially motivated, Thompson clarified.

“We understand how frustrating this has been but I can assure the criminal justice system is working and will continue to work,” Thompson said.

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53 comments

    1. An upstanding teen future engineer jogged up to the door in the early evening after finishing community service to pick up his beloved siblings all from the same father who were in a group study session for their AP calculus exam only to be mowed down by a huwhite suhpremacist in a cold blooded hate crime. What more is there to know?

  1. So who were the responding officers? How come there weren’t immediate charges once the shooter gave that statement admitting he shot someone who did not pose any danger to him, how come he was released after that admission? How come he only got charged after the story went viral???

    1. @user-sj5ju4jb7t  it sounds like your class had a lot of misinformation in it. Some people will go towards something that they fear, it’s called not being a coward. Have you ever heard of fight or flight. Some choose fight. It’s still a response to fear. Personally I almost never answer my door without looking out my window first but I don’t know how I would respond if I was 85 and asleep.

    2. @K calling me racist simply because you may not agree with my comments is tad harsh. I’m unsure where I alluded to race. Yes he opened the door and shot through a secondary locked glass door because he saw a “big” black person standing on his porch at 10pm.

      Maybe he watches too much news and all he sees are violent crimes committed by people of color. Maybe he did lay in wait just for this opportunity when a black person comes onto his property. All speculations of course but DA does not have an easy case. Sorry if you’re offended, I’m not racist.

    3. Lester neighbor told police he saw Yarl banging on Lester’s door before he was shot. Look it up in the time article. They’re wording things to make it seem like it wasn’t self defense. Lester also yelled at the kid before he shot.

  2. Let me say something to the close minded folks that make these close minded remarks. First, I’m pretty sure that no one would want to be shot. If someone rung my doorbell late at night I just don’t open my door and shoot whomever is standing on my porch. “Hello, I am here to pick up my brothers.” Now, I don’t aim a shotgun and let off one at the head. I don’t have a ring camera, but this man had surveillance cameras. He could have easily said, you are at the wrong address, and through the door without even opening it. It’s a thing we all have done when we are told not to open a door for strangers. So, stop with the comments as if this child deserved to be shot. It could have been a bestfriend or a relative.

  3. Maybe the old man shouldnt have a gun or live without a caretaker. If he cant live like a rational person who doesnt fear for their life by someone knocking at their door, then he needs supervision.

  4. This is why it’s absolutely critical to have training- a LOT of training- as a gun owner. There were so many other ways for this homeowner to handle the situation.
    One- don’t open the door for someone you don’t know. Especially at night. Sure, speak to them through the door, but there’s no need to open it. If you’re concerned for your safety, call the police. That’s what they’re there for. Then, have a plan for home defense. Position yourself- with your gun- in a strategic place within your home so that IF the intruder breaks in the front door, you have a plan on how you’ll defend yourself. But UNTIL they break down a door and gain entry, you can’t just open the door and start shooting. That’s not how the law works.
    Two, you have to do EVERYTHING in your power to NOT pull the trigger. Even if you’re completely in the right, your life will never be the same after that bullet leaves the gun. Especially if someone dies as a result. This is just plain tragic all the way around 🙁

    1. @357 SWAGNUM MAGA X 🇺🇸 – No, I’m not at all ‘original’ in pointing out that you are a typical troll.

      You attempt to belittle the OP who sounds like a VERY RESPONSIBLE gun owner who is NOT casting judgment on anyone. He is giving SOUND ADVICE that every gun owner should heed. If they did, we might not be living through AND dying from the pandemic of mass shootings and gun violence.

  5. What’s with the sudden outbreak of people just shooting people who come to their house? Jesus Christ it’s like you knock on someone’s door nowadays and their first response is just to waste you.

    1. @J “lots” the country has over 300 million citizens, be more specific.

      “Law enforcement fails to act to deliberately degrade society”
      What evidence do you have to prove this claim about law enforcement?

      “This is the result” zero evidence backing this claim. Baseless.

      “Expect more of it” fortune teller. Can you tell my future good sir

  6. 😢sad sorry 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿 pray for both of them twin boys🦾🦾🦾🦾🦾🦾 let god be with them

  7. Time tweeted that the kid actually ENTERED the house. They are the only news outlet to say the kid actually entered the house. If this is true, the story makes much more sense

    1. it wouldn’t make sense if it was a break in. The kid was still outside and was shot from the inside through a glass door

    2. sweet nana, you misunderstood what I was saying. if he opened the door and entered the home, even one step, and was shot, he could leave through the door. im not saying that’s what happened but I did see a Time article screen shot that stated he “entered the wrong house”

    3. @dee jay nah sweet dee jay ian misunderstood nun bc originally I wasn’t even replying to you. U just wanted to bud in. Nah he was shot through the glass door which means the door is closed… which means he was standing outside the door.. is there anything up there or u purposely acting slow? I really can’t tell anymore

    4. @dee jay and that time article was wrong that’s why they deleted it.. duh. Why u think y’all can’t find it now LIKE U SAID and somebody had to ss it

  8. Did these teen siblings not have cell phones? Highly unlikely. Doesn’t pass the smell test, somethings fishy.

    1. What could he have possibly done that warrants him being shot? Looking at the boy, does he look like a threat to you? Or does the old man look threatening.

    2. ​@The Truth Idk where you live but I live in South Carolina where “teens” regularly rob people,steal their cars,murder them after robberies,and do home invasion robberies.
      I’m not justifying killing this kid but I understand why people are on high alert when one of these “teens” knock at the door at night. It isn’t fair but the bad ones have made it this way.

  9. It’s a tragedy no doubt. But you have seen videos of normal people ringing door bells and door opens then they get jumped by people not in view. It’s a dangerous world now days.

    1. Just happened the other day and the would be criminals were chased off by a man firing at them with an AK.

    2. The world has always been dangerous, doesn’t give you the right to shoot people that pose no threat to you.

  10. Seeing this man, I bet he has dementia. People with dementia don’t rationize normally. Seeing all the signs posted outside, it can be deducted he was a fearful man who probably had trauma in his old age. He should not have owned a gun.

    My heart goes out to this young man and his family. No one deserves to be shot for just ringing or knocking on a door. This is such a travesty all around.

  11. Don’t worry, once we find out the kid tried to force his way into an old, fragile white man’s home, this story will EVAPORATE.

  12. This story is being media pumped-up because it fits the narrative. Similar events like this don’t get past the local area when a certain criteria does not get met. I know so because last year I moved from the KCK and KCMO area.

  13. We love in a neighborhood that has a community app that we can talk to each other on. There have been MULTIPLE people saying teens are knocking on their doors from 9 pm and on. The ones with cameras have shared footage of the one teen knocking while two others go around the side of the house to scope it out. One of my neighbors was shot and killed one night around 10pm. So, yeah, anyone knocking on my door past 9pm is gonna be met by me holding my “piece”maker.

    If you’re having trouble understanding where this old man’s mind was, feel blessed that you live in such a safe neighborhood.

  14. Other outlets report that this event happened late at night, and that the “kid” was over six feet tall, not the school child shown in your pictures, and was trying to force the storm door open. Why aren’t you reporting those obviously mitigating factors?

    1. @Mitch Baker Never heard of it. I am quoting well-known attorney Andrew Branca and expert on the Law of Self-Defense. I’ve yet to see him be wrong on a case like this.

  15. Didn’t this boy enter the home of the home owner? I read it in an initial article, now it’s been removed.

  16. Lester neighbor told police he saw Yarl banging on Lester’s door before he was shot. Look it up in the time article. They’re wording things to make it seem like it wasn’t self defense. Lester also yelled at the kid before he shot.

    1. Maybe he tried knocking softly than started to bang.. like hello nobody opening the door how he suppose to know it’s the wrong house?

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