One year after his shooting, Kansas City teen Ralph Yarl clings to hope for justice

One year after he was shot on the front porch of a Kansas City home, Ralph Yarl is hanging onto his hope for justice, and still processing how that fateful day changed his life.

Yarl, 17, was shot in the head on April 13 last year when he went to a home in the Northland to pick up his younger twin brothers. He went to the wrong address by mistake and rang the doorbell.

Within a few seconds of seeing him on his doorstep, court records say the homeowner, Andrew D. Lester, then 84, opened fire, shooting him twice. Lester called police and told them he feared for his safety when he answered the door and saw Yarl.

Yarl’s story quickly spread beyond Kansas City. Celebrities and politicians, including President Joe Biden, weighed in on the shooting. Many raised concerns about the shooting being racially motivated, and voiced outrage over gun violence and inequality in the criminal justice system.

Today, Yarl is nearing high school graduation. And his scars, both physical and emotional, remain.

“My hope is that justice will ultimately be served, and I’m encouraged by the increased priority on discourse about ending gun violence,” Yarl said in a statement The Star received on the eve of the anniversary. “Shooting as a first response to uncertainty or conflict should instead be resolved by using words, not weapons.”

Lester, facing felony first-degree assualt and armed criminal action charges, appeared with his attorney in court Tuesday for a brief hearing and was ordered to appear 9 a.m. Sept. 6 for a pre-trial conference.

His jury trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 7.

After a preliminary hearing in August, a judge ruled that prosecutors presented sufficient evidence to establish probable cause that Lester had committed a crime in the shooting of Yarl. At his arraignment, Lester waived the reading of the charges and pleaded not guilty. He remains out on bond after posting $20,000 of a $200,000 bond.

‘Remarkable resilience’

In the past year, Yarl has worked to recover from a traumatic brain injury; one of the bullets grazed his head, and another hit his arm. He’s dealt with debilitating headaches. While he doesn’t want the spotlight, he hopes his story can lead to hope for others recovering from gun violence.

“As such a young man, he’s navigating this with maturity and grace,” said Heather Pilkinton, executive director of Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City (BIGKS-GKC). “We are moved by his resilience.”

Yarl and his family came to a survivor seminar hosted by BIAKS-GKC, an event that aims to provide a support system for families and build a relationship with other survivors.

“Connections with each other and a strong community is a huge component in the aspect of recovery,” Pilkinton said.

Yarl was named the honoree of the organization’s 37th annual Going the Distance for Brain Injury race on Memorial Day this year. The run is organized for the community to join survivors of brain injury and spread awareness. It will be his second year at the event.

“As we approach the one-year milestone from that awful event, my life has bloomed in a way that I never could have envisioned,” Yarl said in a statement. “I have so many thanks to the community for the love, well wishes, and support sent my way, and to the Brain Injury Association of Greater Kansas City for selecting me as their Memorial Day Run honoree.”

In the year since he was shot, gun violence continued to impact his hometown. Kansas City recorded its deadliest year in 2023, with 185 homicides according to data maintained by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.

The national spotlight was on Kansas City again when on Feb. 14, gunfire broke out at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade rally, killing one and injuring 23.

And on March 2, two people were injured when five people fired guns outside North Kansas City High School during a playoff basketball game.

All reminders of that day, one year ago, when Yarl was shot while trying to pick up his brothers.

The fear of it all, sometimes, is still there.

“I’m one teenager hurt by a shooting, and my heart and mind goes out to so many others shot and unheard,” Yarl said.

The Star’s Bob Cronkleton, Glenn Rice and Bill Lukitsch contributed to this report.