Ralph Yarl: GoFundMe for Missouri teen shot after ringing doorbell of wrong home raises over $2M
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: The GoFundMe campaign that was started to help a teenager, who was shot in the head by a man, has received an overwhelming response and surpassed $2 million in donations. Ralph Yarl was shot in the head by a homeowner when he went to the wrong house in Kansas City, Missouri, while trying to pick up his younger twin siblings.
The schoolboy is now in the process of recovering both physically, emotionally, and mentally. The incident occurred on the evening of April 13, when Yarl went to a residence on 115th Terrace, thinking it was his friend's house. Faith Spoonmore, the teenager's aunt, explained in the GoFundMe started for him. She wrote, "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."
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Andrew Lester was charged with first-degree assault
The homeowner, Andrew Lester, was initially taken into custody but later released without being charged. However, prosecutors charged him with first-degree assault, which has a possible sentence of 10 to 30 years or life imprisonment. Additionally, he has been charged with armed criminal action, which carries a potential sentence of 3 to 15 years.
GoFundMe campaign has received $2.4M
A GoFundMe campaign was created to support the recovery of Yarl and donations have been pouring in. Just within a day of its launch, the campaign has received an incredible $2.4 million. The campaign page includes a description of him by his aunt, who refers to him as a "fantastic kid" with aspirations of attending Texas A&M University to study chemical engineering. "At school, he is a member of the Technology Student Association and Science Olympia Team. Jazz and competition band. He is a section leader in the marching band; a scholar and one of the top base clarinet players in Missouri. He recently earned Missouri All-State Band recognition with an honorable mention. He plays multiple instruments in the metropolitan youth orchestra. He is a 2022 Missouri scholar academy alumni. Ralph can often be found with a musical instrument. He loves them all," the page reads.