The young black teenager who was shot in the head and arm after mistakenly ringing the wrong doorbell has been seen walking for the first time after the ordeal.
Ralph Yarl, 17, received suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was shot at point-blank range in the head but miraculously survived the bullet.
Ralph walked with family, friends and other brain injury survivors Monday at Going the Distance for Brain Injury, a yearly Memorial Day race at Loose Park in Kansas City, Missouri.
Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old white man, is accused of shooting him.
Ralph mistakenly went to 115th Street – a street away from where he meant to be on April 13.
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Ralph Yarl looks at a badge that he received after walking at a brain injury awareness event on Monday (AP)When he rang the bell, Lester allegedly came to the door and used a .32 calibre Smith and Wesson 1888 revolver to shoot Ralph in the forehead, then in the right forearm.
Lester told police he lives alone and was “scared to death” when he saw Ralph on the porch because he thought someone was trying to break in, according to the probable cause statement.
Andrew Lester, the 84-year-old man charged in the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in Kansas City (AP)Ralph ran to multiple homes asking for help before finding someone who would call the police, according to court documents.
The shooting outraged many in Kansas City and across the country and prompted rallies and protests.
At the Memorial Day race, Ralph's aunt, Faith Spoonmore, said: "It's important for Ralph to see that he is not alone."
She added that Yarl has debilitating migraines and issues with balance. He is also struggling with his emotions, mood changes and the trauma of the shooting.
The teen was going to pick up his twin younger brothers but ended up at Lester’s place after inadvertently going to the wrong home. (Getty Images)An online fundraiser meant to support Yarl’s physical and emotional recovery from his shooting has generated more than $3.4m from more than 92,000 separate donors.
Lester could receive life imprisonment if ultimately convicted of assault in the first degree and up to 15 years if eventually found guilty of armed criminal action.
President Joe Biden spoke with Ralph last month and invited him to the White House.
“No parent should have to worry that their kid will be shot after ringing the wrong doorbell,” Mr Biden tweeted.
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“We’ve got to keep up the fight against gun violence.”
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