Wanda Cooper-Jones, the mother of Ahmaud Arbery, has plans on meeting with Ralph Yarl following the Kansas City, Missouri shooting. Arbery, 25, was chased down and killed by two white men as he jogged near a Brunswick, Georgia neighborhood on Feb. 23, 2020. Yarl, 16, was shot in the head by a white homeowner after mistakenly ringing the wrong doorbell late last week; however, the teen survived.
Both Cooper-Jones and Yarl’s family are represented by civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, and the slain young man’s mother has asked him to make the connection, TMZ shared today (April 19). The outlet noted she would like to meet with the teen and his relatives to offer support since she has been through a similar tragedy. The publication added that although Merritt thinks it is a good idea, there’s no set date on when the conversation will take place.
Yarl was just released from the hospital on Monday (April 17) after 84-year-old Andrew Lester shot him in the head and arm on April 13. In a previous interview, the high school junior’s mother claimed the only reason he was able to come home so soon was because members of his immediate family are in the medical field and are able to aid in his ongoing recovery. “The residual effect of that injury is going to stay with him for quite a while. He’s home, but I want to remind everybody that Ralph is home because he is surrounded by a team of medical professionals. I’m a nurse for almost 20 years. His aunt is a physical therapist, his uncle is a medical professional. That is why he is home,” his mom shared this week.
Cooper-Jones isn’t the only person looking forward to meeting the teen with a remarkable story. Earlier this week, Merritt revealed President Joe Biden invited him to the White House. “Last night, I had a chance to call Ralph Yarl and his family. No parent should have to worry that their kid will be shot after ringing the wrong doorbell. We’ve got to keep up the fight against gun violence. And Ralph, we’ll see you in the Oval once you feel better,” Biden tweeted yesterday (April 18).