President Joe Biden spoke with Ralph Yarl and his family on Monday amid a national outcry over the shooting of the 16-year-old Black high school student, a White House official confirmed.
Yarl’s attorneys, Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, said Biden offered prayers for Yarl’s health and justice. Yarl left the hospital on Monday and is recovering at home, after suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
“Gun violence against unarmed Black individuals must stop,” the attorneys said. “Our children should feel safe, not as though they are being hunted. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, we will continue to fight for Ralph while he works towards a full recovery.”
The attorneys said Biden called just before Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson announced he was charging 84-year-old Andrew D. Lester with first-degree assault and armed criminal action for allegedly shooting Yarl .
Yarl’s family said the high schooler mistakenly rang Lester’s doorbell when going to pick up his twin brothers.
The Northland shooting has drawn national attention in a larger political discussion about gun laws and racism, as many expressed outrage over the delay in bringing charges against Lester, who is white.
Biden, who helped Congress pass an assault weapons ban when he was in the U.S. Senate, has been outspoken about his desire for stricter federal gun regulation. But so far, his calls have gone unheeded by Congress, where there is little appetite among Republicans for more restrictive policies.
Earlier on Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris offered her support for Yarl and his family.
“Doug and I are praying for Ralph Yarl and his family as he fights for his life,” Harris tweeted, referring to her husband, second gentlemen Doug Emhoff. “Let’s be clear: No child should ever live in fear of being shot for ringing the wrong doorbell.”
Missouri’s Republican senators, Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, have not commented on the shooting as of Monday.
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