Kansas City Police had a wild night recently when they were called to a house to deal with a shooting incident. The victim, a teenager, was shot by the homeowner, but no one knows who the teen is or why he got shot. Was it because he forgot to say “please” when he asked for a glass of water? Who knows. What we do know is that he was taken to the hospital to get patched up, and that the homeowners probably didn’t make him a get-well-soon card.
According to reports, the teenager’s parents asked him to pick up his siblings from a house on 115th Terrace, but instead he went to a house on 115th Street. The Kansas City Star reported that the teenager made a mistake and knocked on the wrong door. Who hasn’t knocked on the wrong door once or twice? It’s like playing Russian roulette with doorbells.
The teenager’s lawyers, Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, have said that their client Yarl, “is alive and recovering” but has some critical injuries. They claim he was “shot twice and struck in the head and arm by an unidentified white male assailant,” and that Yarl was unarmed. So not only did the shooter pick the wrong door, but he also picked the wrong guy. Can’t people get anything right these days?
Police Chief Stacey Graves refused to name the homeowner, creating an instant guessing game online as to who did it. Was it Mrs. Peacock in the library with the candlestick, or was it Colonel Mustard in the living room with the revolver? Whoever it was, they were briefly taken into custody but were then released. Maybe the homeowners wanted their living room back and decided to make a quick exit before the police found out.
Despite the possible racial tensions that could have incited the shooting, Graves says the incident didn’t seem to be racially motivated. But don’t worry, they’re gonna keep looking. Maybe they’ll stumble upon a clue like Colonel Mustard’s fingerprints on the door. Who knows?
The case has garnered the attention of many across the country, with hundreds of people gathering for a protest march to show their support for Yarl’s family. Even celebrities chimed in to show their support. Actress Halle Berry tweeted, “This innocent child is now fighting for his life. This could be your child. This should NOT happen. Please do something today!” Looks like even famous people want to be a part of something meaningful, like a hashtag.
The incident has sparked concern about the continuing violence against Black people in the U.S. Georgia state Rep. Michelle Au wrote online that her son was similar to Yarl, but she hoped he wouldn’t get shot for ringing the wrong doorbell. We can’t blame her. It’s easy to get confused in this day and age. Did I lock my door before I left? Did I turn off the oven? Who knows, we can only hope and pray for the best.
As of late yesterday, an unverified GoFundMe had raised nearly $100,000 for Yarl. The organizers have said that Yarl is a fantastic kid that loves music and academics, and he wants to study chemical engineering at Texas A&M and travel to West Africa. One thing’s for sure, he’s not gonna visit this random house on 115th Street anytime soon.
Serious News: washingtonpost
