The family of the Black teenager who was shot in the head after ringing the doorbell of the wrong home in Kansas City, Missouri, last year, filed a lawsuit Monday against the White man who shot him and the residential homeowners association where the house is located.

The family of Ralph Yarl, the Black teenager who was shot in the head after going to the wrong house, have announced a civil lawsuit in Missouri against the accused shooter and the homeowners association.

The family of a Black teenager who was shot by a white homeowner when he mistakenly went to the wrong Kansas City, Missouri, address filed a lawsuit Monday, described by the family's attorney as an attempt to put pressure on the criminal trial later this year.

This incident not only shattered our family but also exposed a critical gap in our societal fabric, where the safety of our children is jeopardized by reckless actions," Yarl's family said in the lawsuit.

Ralph Yarl was 16 when he was shot in the head and arm by Andrew Lester, a white man, in Kansas City, Missouri, as he was picking up his twin younger brothers in April 2023. Yarl survived the encounter and continues his recovery after spending several days in the hospital.

The family of Ralph Yarl, a Black teen who was shot after approaching the wrong home, is suing the man charged in the shooting and the man’s homeowners association.

The family's attorney said the civil suit is to "give the family a chance to be in the driver's seat in pursuing justice for Ralph."