Biden calls 16-year-old shot in Kansas City

President Joe Biden on Monday called Ralph Yarl, a Black 16-year-old who was shot in Kansas City, Mo., after ringing the wrong doorbell, the White House confirmed Monday night.

Yarl was shot twice Thursday night after he approached the wrong house while picking up his siblings, an incident that Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson described Monday as having “a racial component.”

On Monday, Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old white man, was charged with first-degree assault. Lester, who told police that he thought the person at his front door was trying to break into his house, was also charged with armed criminal action.

Yarl was released from the hospital Sunday and has since been recovering at home.

The White House said Biden “shared his hope for a swift recovery.”

Attorneys for Yarl’s family, Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, said Biden called Yarl and his family shortly before they learned of the charges being brought against Lester. The president “offered his prayers for Ralph’s health and for justice,” they said in a statement Monday evening.

“Gun violence against unarmed Black individuals must stop,” the lawyers said. “Our children should feel safe, not as though they are being hunted. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, we will continue to fight for Ralph while he works toward a full recovery.”

Vice President Kamala Harris voiced outrage over the shooting.

“Doug and I are praying for Ralph Yarl and his family as he fights for his life,” Harris wrote on Twitter on Monday. “Let’s be clear: No child should ever live in fear of being shot for ringing the wrong doorbell. Every child deserves to be safe. That’s the America we are fighting for.”

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.