‘Outstanding support:’ Staley High Schoolers join Ralph Yarl at Alicia Keys concert

Fourteen weeks after he was shot twice after ringing the doorbell of a Kansas City home, Ralph Yarl was wrapped in a hug by Alicia Keys.

The award-winning musical artist, with the help of record producer Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, invited 17-year-old Yarl and his Staley High School classmates to her Friday concert in St. Louis as part of the singer’s Keys to the Summer Tour. The trip was all-expenses paid, including charter buses to the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, for all Staley High staff and students who were enrolled in the 2023-2023 school year.

Team Roc posted a video Sunday of the festivities, with a voiceover of Keys in May inviting the teens to her show.

“I’ve been so moved by your demonstration of love, unity, support to our brother Ralph Yarl and I wanted to just bring you some great news and some good energy,” Keys said. “I would love to invite the entire school to come to my Keys to the Summer tour.”

The video cuts from Keys’ face to a group of delighted students in the school’s gymnasium.

On April 13, Yarl rang the doorbell at the home of an 84-year-old in the 1100 block of Northeast 115th Street, where he thought he was picking up his twin brothers. Yarl had intended to go to a home one street over, on Northeast 115th Terrace.

Andrew D. Lester, the white homeowner accused of twice shooting Yarl, was charged four days later with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. Lester told police he saw Yarl through the glass front door and “was scared to death.”

The story of Yarl’s shooting sparked international outrage and again brought conversations around racism and gun violence to the forefront.

After Yarl was shot, the school’s Black Student Union sponsored a “Unity Walk” to demonstrate support for their classmate. More than 1,200 students and staff members walked, some holding signs and chanting “We love you, Ralph.”

“The Staley High School community was invited to the show in May after demonstrating their outstanding support for Yarl, who survived two nearly fatal gunshot wounds,” Team Roc tweeted.

On Friday, Keys gave a shout-out to Staley High School during the concert.

In the latest video of the concert, posted Sunday by Team Roc, Ralph and his family members are seen standing together, beaming.

The video ends with Keys with her arms wide open as Yarl walks up to her. She embraces him with a smile.