‘We love you, Ralph!’ Nearly 1,500 Staley students show support for Ralph Yarl in unity walk

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - As 10:15 a.m. approached Tuesday, dozens of Staley High School students gathered outside the school. Then hundreds. All in support of one of their schoolmates who was shot last week.

Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old junior at the high school, was seriously injured Thursday evening after he was shot by Andrew Lester. Yarl had gone to pick up his siblings from a home but approached the wrong house. Lester shot the teen twice at his front door.

Yarl suffered a gunshot wound to his head and another to his right arm. He was released from the hospital Monday morning, and later in the day, Lester was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action.

The Staley community gathered Tuesday for a unity walk, marching around the campus chanting “We love Ralph!”

North Kansas City Schools described Yarl as an “excellent student and talented musician. He maintains a stellar GPA while taking mostly college level courses. While he loves science and hopes to pursue that career path, his passion is music.”

An estimated 1,500 students took part in the unity walk.

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