Ralph Yarl: Sweet, young teen shot trying to pick up siblings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also thought it’s pure racism (along the Aubrey case) until I found that it’s an 85 year old guy. It’s racism but also gun availability. Why, why does an 85 year old, living in an urban area (he’s not living alone in a cabin in the woods to justify owning a gun), need a gun? How come he can keep a gun? He will die in prison, but that does not help the child who was shot, and doesn’t prevent other incidents where people who should have no access to guns do have them. There will always be someone who’s racist, or who is suicidal, or who holds a grudge against the world for perceived real or imagined injustices. Gun ownership should not be this easy! There should be real checks. If I need to renew my driver’s license every 5-8 years, why should a gun owner not have to do the same?

I attended high school not far from Staley high school, which is considered in the Northland or "north" of the Missouri River. You have to drive across the Missouri River by bridge to get to the Northland. The older part of Kansas City, MO is "south" of the Missouri River. That's where the downtown, City Market, the Country Club Plaza, West Port, and the Paseo are located. "South" of the Missouri River has some of the wealthiest areas of Kansas City, like on Ward Parkway, and it also has some of the poorest areas. Most of the crime committed in the Kansas City metro area is concentrated South of the Missouri River and to the East.

Teenagers in the Northland have always enjoyed freedom to roam as they please without much consequence, as they should. My high school has traditions such as tp'ing football players houses for Homecoming. That's kids taking toilet paper in the middle of the night, and throwing it around the outside of the house. I can't imagine having older people like this man with guns, shooting at any noise they hear.

I'm not really sure is about race, though. It's really hard to know if this man with a gun wouldn't have shot at any teenager regardless of race or gender.

In yesterday's press conference, the DA stated that there was a racial element to the case. They know more than we do at this point. But in the similar case in upstate NY that happened around the same time, the shooter and the victim were white so, yes, it's not always about race. The guns are the one constant. Also, most of the shooters are men.

We know what they tell us. And after TN, we can assume they tell us what they think will keep riots down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It happened again!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/04/18/kaylin-gillis-shooting-ny/

Bunch old guys sitting around likely watching the news and thinking every single person is a threat. Ridiculous!!

We need gun control now!

Apparently the homes out there are isolated, no lights, and have very long dirt driveways. Little cell service too. How far did they go up his driveway?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My heart is broken for this young boy. He will never be the same child after this incident. No money in the world can repair the emotional damage. I hope that he has loving family and friends around him to support him through this tragedy and that he receives professional help as well. He deserves everything good coming to him.

I also hope the man who did this gets punished to the full extend of the law. In my eyes, this is attempted murder and he should be locked up in federal prison for the rest of his life even if he lives just another few months. What a horrible person to do such a thing. I don't know what it is going to take, but the gun issue needs to be addressed desperately. Hate and guns are ruining our society.

Look, obviously Andrew Lester deserves to go to jail for this. But I want to point out that this is an 84 year old man who, unless I’m wrong, did not have a prior police record. 84. He has outlived his expected life by 11 years and yes, maybe he was a racist a$&, and now he is going to jail for shooting an innocent kid who was just trying to take his siblings home. This is frightening because it means literally no one is safe from being shot through a door in this country. And it’s all because of the ease of getting guns. If we had strict gun control, perhaps Andrew Lester wouldn’t have been afraid that the knock on his door was the prelude to an armed invasion. If we had strict gun control, perhaps Andrew Lester would not have been affected by all the macho posturing of “stand your ground” and the “good guy with a gun” bulls$&t. He would just be another racist a$&hole, but not one that shot a child in the head. I hope he gets prosecuted, but in a way he is yet another victim of our asinine gun culture which has brainwashed otherwise law abiding people into vigilantes. Not as much as the tragic people who killed their own loved ones, thinking they were intruders, like this case

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article264787839.html

There are so many cases of people shooting innocent people at their homes and even their own loved ones by mistake. I wish we could just throw all the guns into the fires of Mordor and have a hobbit party afterwards. Sorry for my rant.

Andrew Lester could have still had his home invaded and been beaten to death or stabbed to death.

Just because somebody rings your doorbell you, or he, jumps to "invasion and stabbing"?

I'm a woman alone so my modus operandii is... wait for it, crazy I know.... don't open the door for a stranger. Keep all doors and windows locked. Have a big dog. I don't need a gun. I'd probably shoot my eye out. Or kill the wrong person. Ahem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It happened again!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/04/18/kaylin-gillis-shooting-ny/

Bunch old guys sitting around likely watching the news and thinking every single person is a threat. Ridiculous!!

We need gun control now!

Apparently the homes out there are isolated, no lights, and have very long dirt driveways. Little cell service too. How far did they go up his driveway?

Maybe the driveway seemed like a side road or something. I’ve turned around in plenty of driveways over the years and had other cars turn around in mine and never have I thought of shooting someone or been shot at. This situation is f-ing sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My heart is broken for this young boy. He will never be the same child after this incident. No money in the world can repair the emotional damage. I hope that he has loving family and friends around him to support him through this tragedy and that he receives professional help as well. He deserves everything good coming to him.

I also hope the man who did this gets punished to the full extend of the law. In my eyes, this is attempted murder and he should be locked up in federal prison for the rest of his life even if he lives just another few months. What a horrible person to do such a thing. I don't know what it is going to take, but the gun issue needs to be addressed desperately. Hate and guns are ruining our society.

Look, obviously Andrew Lester deserves to go to jail for this. But I want to point out that this is an 84 year old man who, unless I’m wrong, did not have a prior police record. 84. He has outlived his expected life by 11 years and yes, maybe he was a racist a$&, and now he is going to jail for shooting an innocent kid who was just trying to take his siblings home. This is frightening because it means literally no one is safe from being shot through a door in this country. And it’s all because of the ease of getting guns. If we had strict gun control, perhaps Andrew Lester wouldn’t have been afraid that the knock on his door was the prelude to an armed invasion. If we had strict gun control, perhaps Andrew Lester would not have been affected by all the macho posturing of “stand your ground” and the “good guy with a gun” bulls$&t. He would just be another racist a$&hole, but not one that shot a child in the head. I hope he gets prosecuted, but in a way he is yet another victim of our asinine gun culture which has brainwashed otherwise law abiding people into vigilantes. Not as much as the tragic people who killed their own loved ones, thinking they were intruders, like this case

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article264787839.html

There are so many cases of people shooting innocent people at their homes and even their own loved ones by mistake. I wish we could just throw all the guns into the fires of Mordor and have a hobbit party afterwards. Sorry for my rant.

How can you defend garbage like that? The old man belongs in prison. I hope he gets time. Not one single politician in office has the balls to bring back strict gun laws.

When people look back at this tragic stupid chapter in American history, Andrew Lester will be one of the many many people who did bad things in the setting of a culture that worshipped guns, convinced the gullible that guns were the answer, believed people of color and woke libs were the enemy, and that shooting a kid through a closed door was justified. I am defending him in the sense of saying the problem is way way way bigger than one old racist attempted murderer. It’s a whole culture that is creating them that needs our anger and focus. He’s not like the idaho murderer guy, a one off serial killer. There are many Andrew Lesters out there who watch too much news max and fear the wrong things. It’s not just coincidence that nearly the same thing happened in upstate ny. And so many other times in the recent past if you do a quick google. Ralph’s case stands out because he was so truly innocent, so I hope it brings focus to all the other similar cases in which innocent people were killed or injured by guns. And then widen the focus and now you include all the kids and adults that were shot by children finding guns in the car or house. It’s all part of the same spectrum, all chapters in the stupid times we are living in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dementia causes changes in personality including confusion, anxiety, and anger.

Just as we take car keys away from seniors who should no longer be driving, we need to take guns away from seniors too.

Could be dementia, but the availability of a gun nearby is a key factor too.

Also, a similar incident happened in upstate NY (several posters have provided link to story) and that shooter was mid-60s, so is that dementia too? That guy shot at a car coming up his driveway around 10pm at night. The people in the car had gone to the wrong house. A young woman was killed. It's the guns + paranoia/fear fueled by Fox etc.

+1
I hope this is a wake up call to people with elderly relatives to check on them and make sure they don't have any guns around the house.
If a person that age feels they will be in danger without one, then their relatives should help them find safer accommodations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is terrible. What is wrong with people? If a stranger knocks on your door why not just keep it closed and tell them to leave? We do that at my house. We don’t open the door and just shoot someone.

The shooter kept the door closed and shot through the glass.

The shooter could have even pointed to the gun or said he had a gun and Ralph would have then realized something was wrong and left but instead he just shot first. I can’t imagine the fear that mothers of young black men must feel as they go out in the world.

[Anonymous]

I know this will be unpopular but I’m a single parent with a young child. I live in a “safe” community but there is more and more crime. My car was rifled through last month. On my cul de sac, my neighbor caught someone on his ring trying his door at 4 am. Carjackings, smash and grab, and attempted break ins are more frequent. The police are in a staffing crisis. There are fewer and fewer patrols and if you call 911 it is not uncommon to be put on hold. I have a nice house but it’s an end unit with lots of glass windows. I am not white but most of the community is white. If a young male rang my doorbell I’d be suspicious and scared. Many people with bad intentions do not force their way in. They trick their way in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this will be unpopular but I’m a single parent with a young child. I live in a “safe” community but there is more and more crime. My car was rifled through last month. On my cul de sac, my neighbor caught someone on his ring trying his door at 4 am. Carjackings, smash and grab, and attempted break ins are more frequent. The police are in a staffing crisis. There are fewer and fewer patrols and if you call 911 it is not uncommon to be put on hold. I have a nice house but it’s an end unit with lots of glass windows. I am not white but most of the community is white. If a young male rang my doorbell I’d be suspicious and scared. Many people with bad intentions do not force their way in. They trick their way in.

Would you start firing a gun through the door, just in case?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this will be unpopular but I’m a single parent with a young child. I live in a “safe” community but there is more and more crime. My car was rifled through last month. On my cul de sac, my neighbor caught someone on his ring trying his door at 4 am. Carjackings, smash and grab, and attempted break ins are more frequent. The police are in a staffing crisis. There are fewer and fewer patrols and if you call 911 it is not uncommon to be put on hold. I have a nice house but it’s an end unit with lots of glass windows. I am not white but most of the community is white. If a young male rang my doorbell I’d be suspicious and scared. Many people with bad intentions do not force their way in. They trick their way in.

Would you start firing a gun through the door, just in case?

Just don’t open the door and don’t engage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this will be unpopular but I’m a single parent with a young child. I live in a “safe” community but there is more and more crime. My car was rifled through last month. On my cul de sac, my neighbor caught someone on his ring trying his door at 4 am. Carjackings, smash and grab, and attempted break ins are more frequent. The police are in a staffing crisis. There are fewer and fewer patrols and if you call 911 it is not uncommon to be put on hold. I have a nice house but it’s an end unit with lots of glass windows. I am not white but most of the community is white. If a young male rang my doorbell I’d be suspicious and scared. Many people with bad intentions do not force their way in. They trick their way in.

Would you start firing a gun through the door, just in case?

You don’t need to answer the door. Get a curtain for your front door if it’s glass and get a ring doorbell if you’re anxious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:America has never been more racist than it is right now.

Eh, I would say we are as racist as we’ve always been. I mean the 1700s and 1800s were pretty horrendous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can't I find any news articles about this, OP?

I live in the KC area, it's everywhere locally and nationally. I don't know why your Google is malfunctioning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dementia causes changes in personality including confusion, anxiety, and anger.

Just as we take car keys away from seniors who should no longer be driving, we need to take guns away from seniors too.

Could be dementia, but the availability of a gun nearby is a key factor too.

Also, a similar incident happened in upstate NY (several posters have provided link to story) and that shooter was mid-60s, so is that dementia too? That guy shot at a car coming up his driveway around 10pm at night. The people in the car had gone to the wrong house. A young woman was killed. It's the guns + paranoia/fear fueled by Fox etc.

+1
I hope this is a wake up call to people with elderly relatives to check on them and make sure they don't have any guns around the house.
If a person that age feels they will be in danger without one, then their relatives should help them find safer accommodations.

My husband and his sister found loaded guns under my husband's grandfather's bed and under the guest bed where his adult granddaughter and young great grandchildren slept. He was in his 80s, a heavy drinker and paranoid and senile. The relatives searched the rest of the house and took all of the guns.

I don't know what the answer is, but elderly people owning guns is a serious problem. And probably more common than we realize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of people lamenting the racism of the homeowner hete, but I guarantee that not a single one of the white or Asian people living in a wealthy DC suburb would have opened the door if they saw Ralph Yarl on the other side of it. Not one of you would have. You lament the racism but you are as racist as this homeowner was.

I'm betting that Yarl would have preferred an unopened door to being shot over. Your statement makes no sense.

+1. I'd advise my elderly parents to not open the door to a stranger. It wouldn't occur to me to advise them to shoot the person for ringing the doorbell.

This poster is being disingenuous to pretend the guy had only one option. And the sick thing is, so many people especially gun nuts, will actually take this argument and run with it.