Shot Teenager Ralph Yarl Earns Spot in Missouri’s All-State Band

Yarl's Recovery and Musical Achievement Follows Traumatic Shooting Incident that Reignited Race and Gun Violence Debate

Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager who was shot in the head and arm by an elderly white man after ringing the wrong doorbell, has been selected for Missouri’s all-state band.
Yarl was shot by Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old homeowner in Kansas City, Missouri, in April last year when he went to the wrong house to pick up his twin brothers.
The case has reignited debate in the US over race and gun violence issues.
Yarl has spoken of how music helped him during his recovery from the shooting.
Lester is facing charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action, to which he has pleaded not guilty.