Ordinary Mistakes Lead to Shootings in United States

In a period of six days, four young people across the United States were shot — one of them to death — for making ordinary mistakes: arriving at the wrong place.

A man shot and wounded two cheerleaders outside a Texas supermarket early Tuesday after one of them said she mistakenly got into his car thinking it was her own.

Last Saturday, a group of young people looking for a friend's house in upstate New York arrived at the wrong property. One of them was shot to death, officials said.

And in Missouri last Thursday, a boy was shot twice after going to the wrong home in Kansas City to pick up his younger brothers. The shooting has raised questions about a Missouri law known as "stand your ground" and racial tensions¹ in the area.

The shooting in Missouri

In Kansas City, 16-year-old student Ralph Yarl mixed up street names when he went to get his two younger brothers. He arrived instead at the nearby home of 84-year-old Andrew Lester.

Lester, who is white, told police he had just gotten into bed when he heard the doorbell ring. He said he took his gun to the door. Lester told police he then saw Yarl, who is Black, pulling on the storm door.

Lester's police statement says he thought the teen was attempting to break into the home and it made him frightened. Without saying a word, Lester fired his gun two times, the statement continues.

Yarl disputes² Lester's claim that Yarl was pulling on the door.

He said the first shot struck him in the head, knocking him to the ground. As he lay there, the second bullet³ hit arm in the arm. Yarl told police he fled as the homeowner yelled⁴, "Don't come around here," the statement said.

Lester was charged with first-degree assault⁵ Monday and turned himself in Tuesday.

The wounded teen is recovering at home.

Legal experts believe Lester's lawyers will claim self-defense under Missouri's "stand your ground" law. It permits the use of deadly force if a person fears for his or her life. Missouri is one of about 30 states with such laws.

The shooting in New York

Kaylin Gillis, a 20-year-old woman, was traveling through the rural⁶ town of Hebron, New York with three other people Saturday night. The group turned their three vehicles onto a property that was not the friend's house they were looking for, law officials said. They were met with gunfire.

The group was trying to turn their vehicles around when the homeowner, Kevin Monahan, came out of his house. He fired two shots, said Washington County⁷ Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy. One hit Gillis. She was killed.

Monahan, who is 65 years old, was charged with second-degree murder. Unlike Missouri, New York does not have a "stand your ground" law.

The shooting in Texas

A man in Texas shot and wounded two teenagers outside a large food store just after midnight Tuesday. One of the victims said the gunman acted after she mistakenly got into his car, thinking it was her own.

The shooting in Elgin happened in a store parking lot. The athletes use the parking lot to meet and share rides to cheerleading events, said team owner Lynne Shearer⁸.

Heather Roth said she got out of her friend's car and into a vehicle she thought was hers, but there was a stranger in the passenger seat, news media reported. She said she quickly got back into her friend's car. The man got out of his vehicle and came toward⁹ their car, she said, and she tried to apologize to him through the window. But the man pulled out a gun and opened fire, Roth reported.

Roth was hit by a bullet and treated on site, police said. Her teammate, 18-year-old Payton Washington, was shot in the leg and back. Washington is in critical condition at a hospital.

Police arrested a suspect, 25-year-old Pedro Tello Rodriguez Jr. He has been charged with "deadly conduct," a third-degree felony.

Words in this Story

knock –v. to set in motion¹⁰ by a forceful hit

assault –n. a violent physical or verbal¹¹ attack

midnight –n. The hour of 12 at night

conduct –n. behavior

felony –n. a serious crime punishable by a heavy sentence

1 tensions   

（情绪上的）紧张( tension的名词复数 )； 张力； 紧张的状态； （作家或电影导演制造的）紧张气氛

参考例句：

• Social tensions were manifested in the recent political crisis. 最近的政治危机显示了社会关系的紧张。
• These disagreements are symptomatic of the tensions within the party. 出现意见分歧表明该党内部的关系紧张。

2 disputes   

n.辩论( dispute的名词复数 )；争端；（劳资）纠纷；罢工v.辩论，争论( dispute的第三人称单数 )；争夺；阻止；就…进行辩论

参考例句：

• a legalistic approach to family disputes 死抠法律条文解决家庭纠纷的方法
• a party riven by internal disputes 由于内部分歧而四分五裂的政党

3 bullet   

n.枪弹，子弹

参考例句：

• The bullet wound in his shoulder was opened up for treatment.切开他肩上的枪伤进行治疗。
• The bullet missed me by a hair's s breadth.那颗子弹差一点就打中了我。

4 yelled   

v.叫喊，号叫，叫着说( yell的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He yelled at the other driver. 他冲着另一位司机大叫。
• The lost man yelled, hoping someone in the woods would hear him. 迷路的人大声喊着，希望林子里的人会听见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 assault   

v.猛烈地攻击，袭击；n.突然而猛烈的攻击

参考例句：

• She appeared in court on charges of kidnapping and assault.她因受到拐骗和侵犯人身的指控而出庭。
• The trainees were put through an assault course.受训人员接受了突击训练课程。

6 rural   

adj.乡下的，田园的，乡村风味的

参考例句：

• He lived a rural life.他过着田园生活。
• We left the city for a rural home.我们离开城市，去农村安家。

7 county   

n.县，郡

参考例句：

• When the good news reached there,the whole county rejoiced.喜讯传到那里时，全县的人都欢欣鼓舞起来。
• In that year county after county fell to the enemy.那一年一个又一个的县城沦入敌人手中。

8 shearer   

n.剪羊毛的人；剪切机

参考例句：

• A bad shearer never had a good sickle. 拙匠无利器。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Eventually, Shearer lost faith, dropping him to the bench. 最终，希勒不再信任他，把他换下场。 来自互联网

9 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

10 motion   

n.打手势，示意，移动，动作，提议，大便；v.运动，向...打手势，示意

参考例句：

• She could feel the rolling motion of the ship under her feet.她能感觉到脚下船在晃动。
• Don't open the door while the train is in motion.列车运行时，请勿打开车门。

11 verbal   

adj.口头的，用言辞的，用文字的，动词的

参考例句：

• Verbal statements are no guarantee.口说无凭。
• I delivered a verbal protest against their brutal acts.我对他们的暴行提出口头抗议。