A 16-Year-Old Boy Rang The Wrong Doorbell When Picking Up His Siblings. So The Homeowner Shot Him In The Head, Cops Say.

A Black high school senior in Missouri was shot after he mistakenly rang the doorbell of a home a street away from his intended destination, authorities said.

According to Kansas City Police, on April 16, Ralph Yarl, 16, went to a residence on N.E. 115th Street to pick up his younger siblings around 10:30 p.m. The teenager intended to go to N.E. 115th Terrace, The New York Post reported, citing Yarl’s aunt, Faith Spoonmore.

After Yarl rang the bell, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said the homeowner allegedly shot the boy twice, in the head and arm.

Yarl was rushed to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.

“Despite the severity of his injuries and the seriousness of his condition, Ralph is alive and recovering,” civil rights attorneys S. Lee Merritt and Benjamin Crump, who the teenager's family have retained, said in a statement, CNN reported.

The homeowner was taken into custody and then released after a 24-hour hold as police continue to investigate the case, according to Chief Graves.

“We recognize the frustration this can cause with the entire criminal justice process,” Graves said, adding, “As soon as the case is complete, it will be presented to the Clay County prosecutors for their review.”

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas noted police were giving their “full attention” to the case. “This is not something that has been dismissed, marginalized or diminished in any way,” the mayor said.