Chief Stacey Graves told a news conference at police headquarters on Sunday that officers were working quickly to gather evidence for prosecutors regarding Thursday’s incident. Graves said: “I want everyone to know that I am listening and understand the concern expressed by the community.
According to The Kansas City Star, the 16-year-old was shot while trying to pick up his younger twin siblings from a friend’s house Thursday night. Yarl was named online by family members as the victim. He drove to the wrong residence, according to police, and was shot there.
While civil rights attorney Ben Crump told The Star that the shooter appears to be white, police have yet to identify the shooter or his ethnicity. Officials’ current knowledge does not indicate that the shooting was racially motivated, but Graves said that element of the investigation is still ongoing.
Yarl was supposed to go to a friend’s house on the 115th terrace and pick up his brothers. He finally decided to ring the doorbell of a residence on 115th Street. The teenager’s aunt, Faith Spoonmore, posted something online.
Yarl was shot in the head when a guy opened the door and spotted him. The guy shot Yarl again once he hit the ground. Yarl got up and left the scene, but before anyone could help him, he had to knock on three more houses, according to Spoonmore. Around 10 a.m., according to Kansas City police, they responded.
The owner was jailed Thursday and held for 24 hours, according to Graves’ statement on Sunday. Detectives discovered the weapon used while scouring the site for evidence. After speaking with the Clay County District Attorney’s Office, law enforcement released the subject pending further investigation.
In a statement Monday, Clay County District Attorney Zachary Thompson said his office has yet to receive a criminal referral regarding the incident from the Kansas City Police Department.
According to Thompson, “We are actively working with law enforcement to expedite this process.”
According to Missouri law, a suspect can be detained for up to 24 hours during a criminal investigation. The individual must then either be released or detained and formally charged. According to Graves, law enforcement needs an official victim impact statement, forensic evidence and other details in order to complete a case and make an arrest.
Graves said the teenager’s injuries prevented authorities from obtaining a victim impact statement. According to Graves, investigators would also consider whether or not the “Stand Your Ground” rules applied to the suspect.
During the press conference, Mayor Quinton Lucas noted that police were aware of community concerns that the shooting may have had racial overtones. To hear the concerns of the community, several police officers attended the protest held on Sunday in the area where the shooting occurred, he added.
“It has not been minimized, marginalized or mitigated in any way. The Kansas City Police Department is paying close attention to it, according to Lucas.
On Sunday, Crump informed The Star that the family had hired his Florida law firm.
When someone knocks on your house, you can’t just kill them; Knocking on your door isn’t reason enough, according to Crump. “This man must face charges.” Crump has defended the families in a number of well-known cases, including those of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin.
According to Crump, the owner first shot the teenager in the head and then again after the teenager had already hit the ground. Additionally, the family hired civil rights attorney Lee Merritt from Texas. Merritt previously worked with the family of Cameron Lamb, who was fatally shot by Kansas City Police Detective Eric DeValkenaere in 2019.
According to Crump, the shooter is Caucasian based on what the teenager’s relatives told him. He said it was impossible to ignore racial dynamics at work.
Yarl “is fine physically, but he has a long way to go mentally and emotionally,” Spoonmore said on a GoFundMe page she created to ask for money for Yarl’s medical bills and other expenses.
Missouri State Representative Marlene Terry said the Kansas City Police Department must act quickly to fully investigate the incident, CBS station KVTV said. Rep Terry said: “Once again Missouri saw an unarmed young black man shot, this time because he knocked on the wrong house while picking up his brothers.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, Bernice King, said on Twitter that “we must work for legislative and heart change to prevent these tragedies.”