First Photo of Ralph Yarl Posted Since Leaving Hospital: 'Truly a Miracle'

The first image of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl since he was discharged from hospital has been released by the family's attorney.

The Black teenager shot at point-blank range in the head and arm after approaching the wrong house on April 13 in Kansas City, Missouri. Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old white man, was charged with two felonies on April 17.

Zachary Thompson, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney, told reporters Monday that there was a "racial component" to the case, but did not offer further details.

The incident has highlighted the frustrations of the local African American community with the handling of such cases by the criminal justice system. Civil rights protesters argued that Lester had been treated differently because of his race, a claim police have denied.

Lee Merritt, a civil rights lawyer representing the Yarl family, posted a picture of himself with Yarl on Twitter. The pair can be seen sitting on a bench on the family's porch on Wednesday. He said the boy was at home and recovering.

"How the bullet in his head did not cause more extensive damage is truly a miracle," he wrote.

According to the Yale School of Medicine, around 42 percent of people who sustain gunshot wounds to the head are able to survive their injuries, but such wounds can have long-lasting effects.

Cleo Nagbe, Yarl's mother, told CBS Tuesday that her son was recovering at home and "surrounded by a team of medical professionals" after being released from hospital on Sunday. She added he likely will be suffering from his injuries "for quite a while."

Yarl and Lester provided conflicting accounts of the incident, with Lester giving a statement to police in which he said he was "scared to death" and thought he was facing a break-in.

A police affidavit said that Lester had told them firing his gun "was the last thing he wanted to do," but that his advanced years made him feel unable to defend himself. Lester was "visibly upset and repeatedly expressed concern" for Yarl, the statement said.

On Monday, Lester was charged with armed criminal action and first-degree assault—the equivalent of attempted murder in Missouri—the latter carrying the possibility of a life sentence. Prosecutors said they had pursued this charge over a hate crime indictment as it carried a longer sentence.

The Associated Press reported Lester surrendered himself to law enforcement the following day, and pleaded not guilty while appearing in court Wednesday. He is said to remain free after posting 10 percent of his $200,000 bond and agreed to relinquish his weapons and avoid contact with Yarl and his family.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson described the incident as a "very serious tragedy" Wednesday. President Joe Biden called Yarl Monday and offered a trip to the White House.

"Ralph, we'll see you in the Oval once you feel better," he wrote on Twitter the following day.

A demonstration by civil rights activists in Kansas City over the weekend, in response to the shooting, framed the incident as an example of the criminal justice system working against people of color. Questions were raised as to why Lester was able to walk free without charge less than two hours after the shooting had occurred.

"Justice delayed is justice denied," Merritt said in a statement Tuesday. "We are relieved that charges are finally moving forward but are disappointed in the delay that necessitated national outcry for an obvious crime. We are cautiously optimistic about accountability and justice."

The Kansas City Police Department denied that it had treated the case differently.

A spokesperson for the department told Newsweek: "The narrative from Merritt that the KCPD chose to release [Lester] after a short period of time due to negligence or mishandling is misguided and not accurate."

They added that "prosecutors are the ones that make the decision to file charges not the police," and noted that while officers have 24 hours in which they can hold a suspect without charge, "upon conferring with the prosecutors and being told they do NOT plan to file charges we HAVE to expeditiously begin the process of working towards the release of the person" or risk infringing on a suspect's fourth amendment and due process rights.

"The preliminary interview was conducted to establish some basic elements of the crime by the investigators so they know how to begin to direct their investigation," the police spokesperson added.

On Sunday, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said of the shooting: "This is not something that has been dismissed, marginalized, diminished in any way," adding that "this is something that is getting the full attention of the Kansas City Police Department."

A GoFundMe page created by Yarl's aunt to help the family raise money for medical expenses had raised more than $3.3 million in donations by 5:30 a.m. ET Thursday.

Update 04/20/23, 11:26 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from a Kansas City Police Department spokesperson.