Good Samaritan Recalls Rushing To Ralph Yarl's Aid After Teen Was Shot For Ringing The Wrong Doorbell
April 18 2023, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
An eyewitness recalled the horrifying moment that he rushed to the aid of Ralph Yarl after the 16-year-old was shot twice by a neighbor, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Yarl, a Black teenager from Kansas City, Missouri, was attempting to pick up his siblings when he rang the doorbell of the wrong house. Police said that homeowner Andrew Lester, 85, fired a shot through the glass door, striking the teen in the head.
Lester then fired a second shot, but Yarl was able to pick himself up and run for help.
As the chaotic scene played out, James Lynch, 42, heard Yarl shouting for help outside of his home.
"Help, help, I've been shot!" Lynch recalled hearing the teenage cry. After the jarring screams, Lynch said he looked outside of his window and saw the teen on the ground, bloody and motionless.
"I thought he was dead," Lynch said. "He didn't deserve to get shot."
Despite being soaked in blood with visible injuries, Yarl went to three houses before he was finally assisted. At the third home, Yarl was instructed to lie on the ground with his hands up. At that point, Lynch sprung into action and rushed to help the defenseless teen in dire need of medical assistance.
Lynch, a father of three, ran outside, hopped a fence, and darted across the street to get to Yarl.
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Yarl told NBC News that the teenager suffered severe injuries and his arms and face were covered in blood. A hole in his head was allegedly visible from being shot.
"I'm going to grab your hand really tight," Lynch told Yarl.
Using training from Boy Scouts, Lynch stayed with Yarl and talked to him. He asked him to repeat his name and age. Thankfully, another neighbor ran to their aid with towels to help control the bleeding.
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Paramedics arrived at the scene and Yarl was rushed to the hospital for surgery. Against all odds, the teenager pulled through but still has a long road of recovery ahead of him.
Lester, the suspect, was arrested four days later after local authorities received overwhelming backlash from outraged citizens across the country.
"I didn't do anything but hold a kid's hand so he wouldn't feel alone. He had just gotten shot twice; he had a hole in the side of his head," Lynch, who did not consider himself a hero, said of the traumatic event. "That kid is tougher than I am."
"No one deserves to lay there like that," he added. "He hasn't even begun to live his life yet. He didn't deserve to get shot."
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Yarl's medical expenses.
