The Shooting of 16-Year Old Ralp Yarlt

Dear Community,

It is with a heavy heart that we write this letter to condemn the April 13th shooting of Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old Black teenager who was shot twice after ringing the wrong doorbell in Clay County. This incident has sparked outrage on social media, and rightfully so. We demand justice for Ralph and his family.

We stand in solidarity with the protesters who marched towards the residence where the shooting took place, chanting “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” We call for everyone to keep the pressure on until authorities make an arrest.

We are appalled that the gunman, who is reported to be a White man, was released by the authorities. There can be no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect. We join nationally prominent civil rights attorneys Lee Merritt and Ben Crump in criticizing the authorities in Kansas City, Missouri.

Ralph was shot in the head and arm and is currently stable in the hospital. He is a high school junior with ambitions to study chemical engineering in college. This shooting has shattered his dreams, and it has left us all traumatized.

The fact that Ralph rang the wrong doorbell should not have resulted in a shooting. We demand that investigators thoroughly investigate this case and bring the perpetrator to justice. We understand that the suspect was held for 24 hours, the maximum for a suspect in a felony until charges are filed. However, we urge authorities to expedite the process of filing charges and presenting the case to the Clay County prosecutor.

We appreciate Police Chief Stacey Graves' promise to investigate this case thoroughly. However, we need to see results. We demand that investigators consider the full extent of Missouri’s “Stand Your Ground” law in this case. We also urge authorities to listen to the concerns of the Black community and take swift action to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Ralph’s aunt, Dr. Faith Spoonmore, said at the protest, “My nephew is alive, and he is healing. It is not the story that that individual intended for us to tell. We are telling a story that is different from the stories that you normally hear.” We stand with Dr. Spoonmore and the Yarl Family in their pursuit of justice.

In conclusion, we ask everyone to keep the pressure on until an arrest is made in this case. We demand justice for Ralph Yarl and his family. We urge authorities to take swift action to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Sincerely,

The Inland Empire Black Worker Center