A Missouri home where a black teen rang the wrong doorbell before a white homeowner shot himself in the head had signs warning of trespassers and unwanted visitors.
Ralph Jarl, 16, was shot twice through the glass in front of a home in Kansas City, just a block from the property where his younger twin brother was waiting.
The doorbell had a small “No Attorneys” sign at the top while another sign claimed the property was “protected by CCTV”.
It is unclear if Ralph noticed the signs when ringing the doorbell or when pulling up the driveway around 10pm on Thursday, April 13th.
The teen’s family said he was collecting his younger siblings but went to the wrong address.
Ralph Jarl, 16, was shot twice in the head by a white man after he accidentally walked into the wrong house while he was going to collect his siblings.
The house is Kansas City, Missouri had a “No Attorneys” sign above the doorbell that Ralph rang by mistake
The property also had a sign claiming it was “protected by security cameras”.
Police have yet to identify a suspect in the shooting, but the family’s lawyer confirmed the man was released two hours after his arrest – without any charges being laid.
Ralph’s attorneys, Lee Merritt and Ben Crump, said the teen was shot twice by a white man, Kansas City police officials said. CNN The suspect is in his eighties.
Police obtained a statement from Ralph at the hospital last Friday before he was released from the hospital on Monday to continue recuperating at home with his mother who works as a nurse.
The Kansas City Police Department also confirmed Monday that it has filed a criminal referral with Clay County District Attorney Zachary Thompson.
The attorney general said his office is working with police to speed up the process so they can review the case and determine whether charges are appropriate.
Viola Davis and Halle Berry had earlier called for justice for Ralph after hundreds of protesters marched outside the home of the suspected shooter on Sunday with the victim’s family to demand action.
A GoFundMe account has raised over $1.7 million to help Ralph and his family pay medical bills.
More than $1.7 million raised through a GoFundMe account to help Ralph and his family pay medical bills, but he was released from the hospital
The family’s attorney, Lee Merritt, also confirmed that the suspect was only held for two hours before being released, and that cops took a statement from Ralph on Friday from his hospital bed.
Davis and Berry pressured Kansas City Attorney General Zachary Thompson to file “appropriate charges,” but his department said it was waiting for the case file they now have.
The teen’s family described the incident as a “hate crime”.
Ralph’s aunt, Dr. Faith Spoonmore, claims that when the teenager fell to the ground, he was shot again, but miraculously managed to escape next to his neighbor for help.
She said her nephew had to knock on three doors before he could be helped, and even then he was told to lie on the floor with his hands above his head.
This was not a mistake. This is a hate crime. She said, “You don’t shoot a child in the head because he rang your doorbell.”
He walked to the door and rang the doorbell. A man opened the door and looked him in the eye and said never come back here because he shot himself in the head.
My nephew fell to the ground and the man shot him again, he managed to get up and run to the neighbor who did not open the door. Run three houses before a neighbor says put your hands up and lie on the floor.
He then lay on the ground, as if passed out, before the neighbor called the police for help.
“You hear these stories about racism in America and you think wow, how sad is that?
But then you have a little bit of hope because you feel like it’s so far away that it will never happen to you and your family. But God the people in this country are sick.
On their GoFundMe page they say he is “doing well physically” but has “a long way to go mentally and emotionally”.
A police officer stands outside the property where Ralph Jarl was shot when he rang the doorbell
A talented clarinetist, Ralph also leads a section of his school’s orchestra and plays multiple instruments in the Northland Youth Symphony Orchestra
The young man’s family described the incident as a “hate crime” after he was shot in the head and arm
Ralph was known among his peers for his intelligence and as a “musical genius”, before he was shot in the head and arm.
The teen receives a letter from the Yale Admissions Board identifying him as a “good candidate” for the prestigious university.
Ralph is part of his high school’s Tech Student League and Science Olympia team, plays in the marching, jazz, and competition bands, and is one of the best primary clarinet players in Missouri.
He had big dreams of attending college after being recognized as a graduate of the Missouri Academy of Scientists in 2022.
Ralph’s attorneys specialize in civil rights and have previously represented the families of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Cameron Lamb.
Police Chief Stacy Graves said her department is working to quickly prepare evidence in the case for the Clay County District Attorney
His family retained the services of civil rights attorneys Lee Merritt and Ben Crump, who have represented the families of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Cameron Lamb
It was said that Ralph, in the middle, was trying to pick up his younger siblings from a friend’s house, but went to the wrong address
“I want everyone to know that I am listening and understand the concern we are getting from the community,” Police Chief Stacey Graves said at a press conference Sunday.
After consultation with the Clay County District Attorney’s office, the homeowner was released pending further investigation due to the need to obtain an official statement from the victim, forensic evidence, and to gather additional information for the case file to be filed.
Investigators have been working over the past several days to compile a detailed case file so that they have all the information they need to make the best accusation decision on the case going forward.
“We want the community to know that we are committed to justice in this case, in every case and we work every day to seek that justice for all victims of all crimes.”
She noted that Missouri law allows a person to be detained for up to 24 hours for investigation of a felony, after which they must be arrested or formally charged.
Investigators will also look at whether the suspect is protected under Stand Your Ground laws.
Officials would not confirm how many times the homeowner shot the victim or where he sustained his injuries.
Clay County District Attorney Zachary Thompson said his office has not yet received a criminal referral from the Kansas City Police Department to file charges for this case.
On their GoFundMe page they say he’s “doing well physically” but has “a long way to go mentally and emotionally.”
