Victim is ‘highly intelligent’ and a ‘gentle soul,’ former teacher says

Ralph Paul Yarl, the 16-year-old boy who was shot after mistakenly ringing the wrong doorbell to pick up his siblings, is a “gentle soul” and gifted student who wants to study chemical engineering in college, his former teacher said. 

Ralph was shot Thursday evening after his parents asked him to pick up his two younger siblings and he mistakenly went to a home in the 1100 block of Northeast 115th Street instead of Northeast 115th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri, police said. 

He was taken to a hospital in stable condition with life-threatening injuries, police said.

Megan Lilien, who taught Ralph at the Missouri Scholars Academy, a three-week residential program for academically gifted students, said he was a “highly intelligent” and observant student, curious about the world.

He was among 330 rising high school juniors chosen last summer to attend the prestigious program, which requires a nomination, at the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus.

“He was curious, intelligent. He’s quiet, but he’s literally taking in the world. You just notice. He’s just observing everything,” Lilien said.

She taught a college-level chemistry-based science class and spent about three hours in the lab with Ralph and about 17 other students each day of the program.

“He has this sweet face. He wasn’t the one who was talking all the time or answering all the questions, but you knew he was learning at all times. He was kind. He was definitely respected by everyone in the group,” Lilien said.

“He was still working, still trying to figure out the problem when we had to wrap up,” she added.

She said the news of the shooting “has me feeling nauseous.”

“It’s devastating. There are no words. I just don’t know how something like this happens. It’s unimaginable. This is a kid who doesn’t deserve to be experiencing this in his life at all,” Lilien said. “I just have to think about the positive and that he’s going to be able to pursue his dream.”

On the last night of the summer program, as part of a tradition, the students light a candle and share a memory of a time at the camp that made a difference to them.

Lilien said Ralph’s memory touched her, but she didn’t want to share what he said. “I want to keep that sacred,” she said.

Ralph is also a clarinetist who recently earned Missouri All-State Band recognition with an honorable mention. 

Brad Hudson, the Missouri All-State Band coordinator, said 1,500 students auditioned in December to be part of the Missouri All-State Band, and Ralph was recognized in the “Honorable Mention Band.” Musicians in that category do not perform but are recognized in the program, he said.

Ralph, a junior at Staley High School in Kansas City, is an excellent student and talented musician, the superintendent of North Kansas City Schools said in a statement Monday.

“He maintains a stellar GPA while taking mostly college level courses,” Dan Clemens said. “While he loves science and hopes to pursue that career path, his passion is music. Thankfully, we know he is now recovering alongside family.”

“I know that many of you share the same anger, frustration, shock and disbelief that I am experiencing now. We must allow time for the investigation to be completed.”

The shooting

Kansas City police responded to the home where Ralph was shot just before 10 p.m. Thursday. They found him with two bullet wounds, one in his head and the other in his arm, according to attorneys retained by his family, Lee Merritt and Ben Crump.

The shooting cast a spotlight on Missouri’s “stand your ground” law and sparked outrage on social media. It also prompted a weekend protest and calls for the shooter’s arrest.

The name of the shooter has not been released by police, and phone calls to the address where Ralph was shot went unanswered Monday.

Police Chief Stacey Graves said in a news conference Sunday that the shooter inside the residence was taken into custody and held for 24 hours, the maximum amount of time a felony suspect can be held until charges are filed. A firearm was also taken as evidence. 

Graves said the vast majority of felony suspects are released after 24 hours but are re-arrested later when enough evidence has been gathered for charges. Graves said detectives are working “expeditiously” on the case, and results will be sent to the Clay County prosecutor as soon as the investigation is completed.  

The Clay County prosecuting attorney’s office said a referral had not been received as of Monday. 

“However, we are actively working with law enforcement in an attempt to speed up that process so that we can review the file when it is submitted and determine whether criminal charges are appropriate,” the prosecutor’s office said.