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Nearly two-and-a-half months after Andrew Lester was charged with shooting him, Ralph Yarl is publicly speaking about the ordeal for the first time.
The Kansas City, Missouri, teen — who celebrated his 17th birthday last month — acknowledged the matter during an interview with ‘Good Morning America.’
While chatting with GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts, Yarl recounted the events of Apr. 13, which unfolded after he mistakenly rang the doorbell of N.E. 115th Street instead of N.E. 115th Terrace.
In turn, he was met by Lester, who brandished a gun.
“He points [the gun] at me, so I kinda, like, brace, and I turn my head. Before that, I’m thinking, ‘There’s no way he’s actually gonna shoot, right?’… Then it happened.”
He added, “Then I’m on the ground… Before I know it, I’m running away shouting, ‘Help me, help me.'”
When asked if Andrew Lester spoke to Ralph Yarl, the teen recalled, “He only said five words: ‘Don’t come here ever again.'”
Thankfully, Ralph survived the traumatic incident, though he’s dealing with some lingering mental impacts.
“There are a lot of things going on inside my head that aren’t normal. I’ve been having headaches, trouble with sleep, and sometimes my mind is just foggy. Like, I can’t concentrate on the things that would be easy for me to do.”
His mother, Cleo Nagbe, added that Ralph — who “took the SAT when he was in 8th grade” — is dealing with his brain being “slowed” due to the trauma.
“Physically, he looks fine. But there is a lot that has been taken from him.”
However, the family is grateful that Ralph is still kickin’, and he’s planning to “keep doing all the stuff that makes [him] happy.” Nagbe also noted that she’s “overwhelmingly grateful” for the outpouring of support the family’s received.
As for what the future holds for Ralph Yarl, he hopes to eventually pursue a career in chemical engineering. But first, he wants to see himself get justice.
“[Lester] should be convicted for the crimes that he made.”
Nonetheless, the teenager was sure to acknowledge that he’s “past having any personal hatred for him.”
