Ralph Yarl, teen shot after knocking on wrong door, makes public appearance at brain injury fundraiser

In his first public appearance since the shooting, Yarl and his family attended a Memorial Day walk/run in Overland Park, Kansas, to raise money for traumatic brain injuries.

Kansas City teenager Ralph Yarl appeared at a brain injury fundraiser Monday after a devastating shooting last month that left him with scars of his own.

Yarl and his family attended a Memorial Day walk/run in Overland Park, Kansas to raise money for programs and services that support people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. The “Going the Distance for Brain Injury” event included 10K and 5K runs, a 1.5-mile walk, and an activity for children, according to ABC News.

Although he did not speak publicly, Yarl’s mother, Cleo Nagbe, addressed those in attendance and updated them on her son’s recovery. She advocated for greater awareness to end brain injuries and the causes behind them, particularly gun violence.

“When you get a traumatic brain injury, everybody expects you to look one way, feel one way or act one way, but it’s not that way,” said Nagbe, ABC reported. “And everybody’s asking me, ‘Have you gone back to work yet? Has Ralph gone back to school yet?’ That’s not the case. A brain injury is a process, it’s not an event. It takes time.”

Faith Spoonmore, Yarl’s aunt, said the incident physically and emotionally damaged her nephew. She mentioned that the teenager has been staying with her and her family because he is uncomfortable returning to his house because it’s in the neighborhood where he was shot. She said that is “so unfortunate because he had a lot of great memories in that home.”

Spoonmore also shared that Yarl, who turned 17 this month, has been experiencing migraines since the shooting, making it difficult for him to play the bassoon or clarinet, his favorite instruments.

“Now you see him, and he’s by himself. But he’s not doing the things that he loves to do, and it’s like he’s a shell,” said Spoonmore, ABC reported. “And that’s the problem, is that there is something that is missing within him.”

She expressed her hope that the shooting doesn’t keep Yarl “from seeing the good in people,” adding that the event on Monday serves as a reminder of the community’s love and support for her nephew.

Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said on April 17 that Andrew Lester, 84, has been charged with felony first-degree assault and armed criminal action for shooting Yarl in the head. 

Yarl rang Lester’s doorbell on April 13 after accidentally arriving at the wrong address to pick up his siblings.

Lester entered a not-guilty plea and was released on April 18 after posting a $200,000 bond. His next court hearing is June 1.

Steve Salmon, Lester’s attorney, last week submitted a motion to have the case sealed, contending that the media attention has contributed to a “bias” against his client.

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