Ralph Yarl GoFundMe Surpasses $3.2 Million After Three Days

Topline

A fundraising page to cover medical expenses for Ralph Yarl—a Black teenager who was shot twice last week after he mistakenly approached the wrong Kansas City home—has raised more than $3.2 million in donations over the last three days, as his family says he still has a “long road” to recovery.

A fundraiser for Ralph Yarl has surpassed $3.2 million across 86,000 donations.

Ben Crump Law

Key Facts

A GoFundMe page posted Monday by Yarl’s aunt Faith Spoonmore has received $3.25 million across more than 86,000 donations as of 1:15 p.m. Wednesday.

The fundraiser notes that 16-year-old Yarl is recovering at home and is walking around and communicating after being shot in the head and right arm last Thursday.

Donations will be used for Yarl’s medical expenses and therapy, while additional funds will be used for his college tuition at Texas A&M University and a trip to West Africa, the page added.

The fundraiser also details the incident and claims Yarl went to three different homes after being shot “before someone finally agreed” to help him.

Crucial Quote

Spoonmore wrote that while Yarl has “a long road ahead mentally and emotionally,” his ability to move and communicate is “a true miracle considering what he survived.”

What To Watch For

Andrew Lester, the 84-year-old white man charged with first-degree assault in Yarl’s shooting, will be arraigned Wednesday. He is expected to plead not guilty.

Key Background

Yarl was released from the hospital Sunday after being shot in front of Lester’s home on April 13. Both Yarl and Spoonmore say he arrived thinking he was at another home where his younger twin brothers were waiting to be picked up. Lester told police he believed Yarl was attempting to force his way into his home before Lester shot at him. Yarl told police Lester immediately shot him in the head after he knocked on Lester’s front door. He was then shot a second time in his right arm while lying on the ground, Spoonmore said. Lester was charged Monday with first-degree assault and armed criminal action before turning himself in the following day. He is being held on a $200,000 bond.

Tangent

It is speculated that Lester will invoke Missouri’s “stand your ground” law in his defense. The law allows state residents to “use physical force” on another person if they “reasonably believe” the force is necessary to defend themselves. The law also includes a “castle doctrine clause,” which states a person “does not have a duty to retreat” from their home if they believe someone is attempting to “unlawfully” enter. Similar arguments were previously used by attorneys representing George Zimmerman, Kyle Rittenhouse and the three Georgia men convicted in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery.