(Washington) Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he had invited the black teenager who was seriously injured by gunshot wounds to the White House last week after knocking on the wrong door of a house in Missouri.
“Ralph, we’ll see you in the (Office) Oval when you feel better,” Joe Biden tweeted of his call to the 16-year-old the day before.
Ralph Yarl was picking up his brothers from a friend’s house around 10 p.m. on April 13 in Kansas City, a large metropolis in Missouri in the central United States, when he mistakenly rang the wrong doorbell.
His owner, a white octogenarian, then shot the teenager through a glass door, hitting him in the arm and head, according to court documents seen by AFP.
The young man is recovering “despite the seriousness of his injuries”, according to a press release from the family’s lawyers, including the famous Ben Crump, who specializes in the defense of African-Americans who are victims of police violence in particular.
The 84-year-old suspect, Andrew Lester, was charged Monday by a Missouri court with two counts, one of which carries a life sentence, the county attorney told a press conference. of Clay, Zachary Thompson.
In a statement provided to AFP, the county sheriff’s office said Mr. Lester reported to the detention center on Tuesday to be taken into custody.
“There is a racial component to this case,” prosecutor Thompson said at the press conference.
For Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, “to pretend that the racial (component) does not enter into this situation would be like putting an ostrich in the sand”.
The teenager “knocked on the door of someone who clearly, clearly is afraid of black people,” the city councilor told CNN on Tuesday, saying he hoped it would be taken into account by justice.
Calling to continue the fight against gun violence, Joe Biden said Tuesday, “No parent should have to worry about their son getting shot after ringing the wrong doorbell.”
In a similar case in upstate New York on the east coast, authorities said Monday that a 20-year-old woman was shot and killed while driving her car after turning into the driveway of a house. by mistake.
The 65-year-old homeowner, who allegedly fired the shots, was arrested on Monday and charged with non-premeditated murder, the Washington County Sheriff said at a news conference.
Ralph Yarl’s serious injuries have caused uproar across the country and protests have taken place in Kansas City demanding justice.
“My heart was completely broken when I learned” of the teenager’s fate, tweeted African-American actress Halle Berry, calling on the prosecutor to act.
Quinton Lucas also denounced the fact that the accused had not been charged before demonstrations and cries of indignation were heard across the country.
“You shouldn’t need a Halle Berry tweet about (your case) to get justice,” he quipped.
An online kitty to pay for Ralph Yarl’s medical bills and allow him to benefit from future psychotherapy raised more than $2.7 million on Tuesday.
The United States pays a very heavy price for the spread of firearms in its territory and the ease with which Americans have access to them.
The country has more personal weapons than people: one in three adults owns at least one weapon and almost one in two adults lives in a household with a weapon.
The consequence of this proliferation is the very high rate of firearm deaths in the United States, unmatched by that of other developed countries.
