Supporters across the nation raised more than $400,000 in an online fundraiser Tuesday alone — reaching the $3 million mark — to help the family of Ralph Yarl, the Black teen allegedly shot twice by a white man when he rang the wrong doorbell in Kansas City’s Northland last week.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, a GoFundMe to help pay for the 16-year-old’s medical bills, therapy and college education, among other expenses, has had hit more than $3 million since Yarl’s aunt Faith Spoonmore started the fundraiser on Sunday.
Students in the Staley High School jazz band, of which Yarl is a member, will also host a benefit concert from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the school’s Great Hall. All proceeds from ticket and refreshment sales will go to Yarl’s family or their church.
Andrew Lester, 84, was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action for allegedly shooting Yarl twice when the teen went to Lester’s door by mistake, after being sent to pick up his younger brothers from a home the next street over.
Lester surrendered to authorities Tuesday afternoon, nearly 24 hours after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. He was being held in the Clay County jail, before posting $200,000 bond just hours after surrendering.
Yarl told detectives a white man came to the door holding a firearm and shot him, knocking him to the ground. The man then allegedly shot Yarl once more in the arm, and told him “Don’t come around here.”
Yarl said he ran from the home, fearing the man would shoot him again. He asked for help at several residences before someone called 911 and Yarl was taken to the hospital.
On Monday, Yarl’s father told The Star that his son was released from the hospital and is recovering at his mother’s home.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are among the politicians calling for justice for Yarl and have invited him to visit the White House. Celebrities, including Jennifer Hudson and Halle Berry, have also posted about the teen.
Spoonmore said on GoFundMe that her nephew is a high-achieving student and a talented musician.
She said he plays in the jazz, competition and marching band and has earned state recognition as a bass clarinet player. Yarl also plays multiple instruments in the Northland Symphony Youth Orchestra, she said. He was selected his sophomore year for the Missouri Scholar’s Academy at the University of Missouri and hopes to study chemical engineering at Texas A&M, Spoonmore said.
Dan Clemens, superintendent of the North Kansas City School District where Yarl attends Staley High School, also shared a message of support for his family Monday and emphasized the teen’s achievements.
“Ralph is an excellent student, a talented musician,” Clemens said. “He maintains a stellar GPA while taking mostly college-level courses. While he loves science and hopes to pursue that career path, his passion is music.”
