Ralph Yarl, a 16 year old black teenager, was shot on April 13, 2023 when he accidentally went to the wrong house in Kansas City, Missouri. He was hospitalized after being shot twice, in his head and the arm.
Yarl went to Andrew Lester’s (an 84 year old white man) house on accident as he was trying to pick up his younger siblings from their friends house. Upon opening the interior of the door and seeing a black male, two seconds later, Lester immediately fired two shots. Fortunately, Yarl has survived and is recovering well. Lester claimed that he was “scared for his life.” However, after this shooting, Lester was charged of two felonies in which he pled not guilty.
Events like this one represent serious issues in society and the United States, gun violence and social inequality. Shootings are becoming more and more common across the United States with more than 100 shooting in just the year of 2023. Many southern states such as Missouri allow easy access to guns which in turn lead to high prevalence of gun violence in these areas. Social inequality is also represented from events like this as there is still an integrated racism in society. Lester felt scared for his life immediately only after seeing a black male. This poses many questions of how would this situation differ if it were a while male or if there were stricter gun laws, etc.
To prevent events like this from occurring again, legislation could be passed with stricter gun laws to prevent the prevalence of guns. As more guns are created and sold, this allows guns to get in the hands of many people that can use it for the wrong purposes. If stricter legislation was passed, this could therefore prevent any serious gun violence.
Aarav Kumar's Blog 