Less than a week ago, Ralph Yarl lay in the street in a pool of blood after going to the wrong house in Kansas City, Mo., to pick up his little brothers and being shot in the head and arm by the homeowner.
On Wednesday, the 16-year-old’s attorney, Lee Merritt, let the world know just how well the resilient teen is doing.
“He’s home and looks great,” the civil rights lawyer wrote on Instagram next to a picture of him and Ralph sitting on the deck of the teen’s home.
“Ralph is a WALKING MIRACLE with a head of steel,” Merritt said of the honor student and talented musician who dreams of studying chemical engineering at Texas A&M.
Ralph’s ordeal began just before 10 p.m. on April 13, when he mistakenly went to N.E. 115th St. instead of N.E. 115th Terrace to pick up his little brothers from a friend’s house.
He rang the bell and when the door opened, the homeowner, Andrew Lester, 84, fired a handgun at him through the glass of the storm door, authorities say in a probable cause affidavit obtained by KSHB.
Lester shot the boy a second time while he lay on the ground in a pool of blood and smashed glass, say authorities.
Though he had been shot in the head and arm, Ralph somehow mustered the strength to go door to door in the neighborhood, screaming that he had been shot, his aunt, Faith Spoonmore wrote In a GoFundMe post she set up for her nephew.
Ralph was rushed to a local hospital where he was initially listed in critical condition.
Now he is healing, says Merritt.
“Ralph suffered a traumatic brain injury that he is still recovering from,” he wrote on Instagram. “Had the bullet hit his head a fraction of an inch in any other direction he would probably be dead right now.”
Merritt added, “He is expected to make a FULL recovery, but it will take time. And we ask that you pray for Ralph and his family daily.”
One of the many people in Ralph’s corner, Merritt noted, is President Joe Biden.
On Monday night, he wrote, “President Joe Biden called Ralph and spoke to him for nearly an hour. It was actually a beautiful, thoughtful, meaningful, compassionate conversation.
“President Biden, which I have always said was his greatest gift, offered such warm encouragement to Ralph. He asked Ralph great questions about his musical background and shared stories about his own family playing similar instruments.
“He asked Ralph about his mother and family and shared heartwarming stories about his own mother and family. They talked about academics, the world, and much more.”
Ralph’s family expected the call to last for two to three minutes, he wrote.
“But they loved talking to each other so much that it carried on for about an hour. It was a surprising and special moment,” Merritt wrote.
During the call, President Biden invited Ralph to the White House, Merritt said.
Later on, Ralph spoke to Vice President Kamala Harris, “who offered her own warm encouragement and prayers for his recovery,” Merritt wrote.
