♪ this is "nightline." >> byron: tonight, speaking out. the robin roberts exclusive. a teenager shot for going to the wrong house shares his story for the first time. >> i was bleeding from my head. i was, like, how? how is this possible? >> byron: an 84-year-old man opening fire after ralph rang his doorbell. >> any words exchanged before he

shot you? >> he only said five words. "don't come here ever again." >> byron: the trauma he's facing. >> his brain has slowed. physically he looks fine, but there's a lot that has been taken from him. >> byron: his surprising message to the shooter facing charges. christina aguilera. one of the world's biggest stars. one on one where history was made, celebrating the anniversary of the stonewall uprising that reshaped civil rights. ♪ you are beautiful ♪ >> byron: why her song "beautiful" became a proud anthem in the lgbtq community. >> i didn't even think at the time that this was going to be controversial. >> byron: and her inspiration to keep fighting for rights now under threat. >> just makes me want to sing louder, stronger, harder. >> byron: and "wheel of fortune." the "american idol" host and one of the busiest men in hollywood about to take a spin at filling some legendary game show

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♪ >> byron: good evening. thank you for joining us. ralph yarrow was doing what big brothers do, helping his mother by picking up siblings from a friend's house. the teen went to the wrong kansas city address and ended up being shot twice. the case sparked protests over

race and justice. he survived, now sharing his story exclusively with our robin roberts. >> i'm thinking, there's no way he's actually going to shoot, right? that's what was going through my head then. >> reporter: it was a night that changed the course of ralph yarl's life. >> i was breeding from my head. i thought, how is this possible? i've been shot in the head, i shouldn't be this alert. >> reporter: for the first time the now 17-year-old sharing in his own words the moment in april he was shot twice after mistakenly going to the wrong house to pick up his twin brothers. were there any words exchanged before he shot you? >> he only said five words. "don't come here ever again." >> reporter: the honors student's shooting sent shockwaves through his hometown of kansas city, missouri, and beyond. >> we are challenged living

while black, driving while black, and now we can't even walk up to someone's door and ring a doorbell without fear of being murdered. >> reporter: ralph and his family thrust into a national debate over race and justice. after it took four days for authorities to charge the homeowner accused of shooting him. the ordeal also shining a spotlight on controversial "stand your ground" laws previously invoked in the shootings of trayvon martin and ahmaud arbery. >> we live in a highly gun-crazed culture. when people fear, it's reasonable for them to grab their firearms and protect themselves, that is one argument that will show up in the court. >> reporter: the man who shot ralph, 84-year-old andrew lester, charged with two felonies. first degree assault, and armed criminal action. he pleaded not guilty and is out on bound if you could saying some to him, what would it be? >> there's still time for the

rest of us whose names are not lester to educate ourselves to coexist in harmony. and mr. lester, if he desires, can play a part in that if he wants to. >> reporter: before the incident, ralph was a passionate band kid. he played the saxophone and the clarinet. ♪ always a responsible big brother, he didn't think twice when his mother asked him to pick up his younger siblings. when you go back to april 13th, tell me what happened when you go to that address. >> well, i go into the driveway. i walk up the steps. i ring the door i see three different cameras. one on the driveway, one on the porch. as far as i know, i didn't know their family at all. like, i had never even seen their friends -- his friends or their parents before, so maybe

this is their house. >> reporter: ralph mistakenly went to northeast 115th street, instead of picking up his brothers from northeast 115th terrace, one block away. >> i actually wait a long time, i'm just on the porch. so then i hear the door open. then i see this old man, and i'm assuming, oh, this is grandpa. then he pulls out his gun and i'm like, whoa. so i, like, back up. he points it at me. then it happened. and then i'm on the ground. i fall on the glass. the shattered glass. and then before i know it, i'm running away, shouting, "help me, help me." >> reporter: ralph was shot twice at point-blank range. once in the head, another time in the arm. stunned, he says he ran to multiple homes until someone answered his plea for help and called the police. meanwhile, his mother, cleo,

growing more and more concerned when her son never returned home. >> we got a call from a strange number. then it was the police stating that they had him. it was traumatizing. >> reporter: her son was left battered, broken, suffering from a cracked skull, traumatic brain injury, post-concussion syndrome, and severe damage to the left frontal lobe. lester told investigators he thought ralph was trying to break into his house and that he was scared to death by ralph's size. in the criminal complaint, the homeowner said he was protecting himself from physical confrontation and claims he heard yarl pulling on the outer storm door. but some neighbors casting doubt on those claims. >> if you're that scared at 10:30 at night, why did you open the door? >> reporter: ten weeks later, ralph's made a remarkable recovery. but the mental and emotional trauma still lingers. >> i've been having headaches.

trouble with sleep sometimes. my mind is just foggy. >> reporter: ralph, who dreams of pursuing a career in chemical enginee engineering, now struggling to complete simple tasks like puzzles. >> you're looking at a kid that took the s.a.t. when he was in the eighth grade. and now, his brain is slowed. so physically, he looks fine. but there's a lot that has been taken from him. >> reporter: the music that brought ralph so much joy, also bringing him healing during this difficult time. has it helped you during this time, your music? >> yeah. i can listen to some of the pieces that i've played with my friends. and then all those memories just come rushing back. >> going to play a little something for us? >> reporter: ralph still in tune with his beloved clarinet. ♪

>> bravo! bravo! oh, my. wow. what was the name of that piece? >> "deep wood." >> son, you can play. >> reporter: as he recovers, his community continues to rally around him. >> we love you, ralph! >> reporter: days after he was shot, hundreds of his high school classmates walked out of school, gathering to support their wounded friend. that love, far-reaching. a gofundme page set up by ralph's aunt has raised more than $3.4 billion. >> we are just overwhelm manying grateful. i don't want this to stop at ralph. there are so many children out there who i are victims of gun violence. and they need to feel love also. >> reporter: teenage milestones

like ralph's 17th birthday are even sweeter now. and this past memorial day, he participated in a 10k walk to raise awareness and money for victims of traumatic brain injuries. a young man now coping with what many adults can't even fathom going through. what do you want people to know about you, ralph? >> that i'm just a kid. i'm not larger than life because this happened to me. just going to keep doing all the stuff that makes me happy. >> reporter: late last month, a judge granted a request for the case against andrew less certificate to be partially sealed, in part due to the amount of threats and harassment he has received. in a statement, an attorney for lester told abc news that he can't comment on the case due to the court order, but that mr. lester is looking forward to the upcoming preliminary hearing. lee merritt, an attorney for the family, calling for the shooting to be investigated as a hate

crime. what are your concerns of the legal process going forward? >> unfortunately, race is a major factor in who gets justice and who doesn't. and in cases where there's a white man and a black child, i've seen over and over again that criminal justice system contorts itself out of shape to find a way to justify the shooting. that is concern for me here. >> what is justice to you in this case? >> justice is just the rule, the law, regardless of race, ethnicity, and age. i am past having any personal hatred for him, but i feel like, yes, he should suffer repercussions. because that is what our society is made of, trust in each other and reassurance that we will be kind to each other and that we can coexist together in harmony. >> our thanks to robin. up next, her music and

message have inspired the lgbtq community. we talk with superstar christina aguilera about being a proud fighter for gay rights. ♪ i'm orlando fighand i'm living with hiv. ♪ ♪ i don't have to worry about daily hiv pills because i switched to every-other-month cabenuva. for adults who are undetectable, cabenuva is the only complete long-acting hiv treatment you can get every other month. it's two injections from a healthcare provider. now when i have people over, hiv pills aren't on my mind. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients, or if you're taking certain medicines, which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions, post-injection reactions, liver problems, and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have liver problems or mental health concerns, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering pregnancy.

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met with one of the world's biggest stars who's a powerful ally in the fight. >> i'm no strange tore backlash, yes. i'm a fighter. i wrote a song about it. doing it in my shows here for pride week. just wakes me want to sing louder, stronger, harder. just because it makes me want to fight back. ♪ want makes me want to make a little harder ♪ >> you can fight with love. >> reporter: she's one of the most popular entertainers on the planet who first ruled the pop charts in 1999, singing "genie in a bottle." ♪ i'm a genie in a bottle you gotta rub me ♪ >> reporter: christina aguilera is also quite arguably a gay icon who isn't afraid to stand up for her fans. back in 2008 in what then felt like a controversial interview with "mtv news 82 she spoke out against a california ballot initiative banning gay marriage. >> just doesn't make sense to

me, you know. why you would put so much money behind something between stopping people from loving each other and bonding together, you know? like -- i just don't understand it. ♪ you are beautiful ♪ >> reporter: just a few years before, she won a special place in the same community with a song and video way ahead of its time that told people, you are beautiful no matter what they say. ♪ you are beautiful in every single way ♪ ♪ words can't bring you down ♪ >> reporter: it became an anthem and earned her a glaad media award. >> it was one of the first videos that showcased two men kissing. and i didn't even think at the time that that was going to be controversial. i don't think anything of those things. you know, i look at people as people, and that's why i'm so anti-judgment and criticizing other people or having no sympathy or compassion for things that don't fit the norm inside your own box.

>> reporter: it's why they're honoring her this week at the stonewall national monument visitors center in new york, a sacred ground for lgbtq+ people. things would be different today for many people across the world if it weren't for one hot night in june 54 years ago outside this now-historic gay bar. >> it was humid. the full moon was out. judy garland had just been buried. ♪ somewhere over the rainbow ♪ >> reporter: in many ways, actress and singer judy garland was the gay icon of her time. back then, gay men used to call themselves the friends of dorothy, from her role in "the wizard of oz" where she sang what became a gay anthem of her own. victoria cruz said the streets were angry after years of mistreatment by police and -- >> i sat right there on the

steps. >> reporter: a trans woman and living legend, she was there that night when police raided the bar. >> all of a sudden, a brick flew out. >> from the crowd? >> from the crowd that was on that corner there. >> reporter: they threw bottles, beer cans, and middle fingers at police. they were led by trans legends like marsha p. johnson and sylvia rivera, shaking their fists at a society that told them they were sick or didn't exist. in new york city at the time, kissing someone of the same sex or holding their hand in public was against the law. bars like stonewall were a safe place. >> it was the first time we stood up for our rights. for that, i wanted to see it. they weren't expecting that to happen at all. we didn't fight back. they used to raid the bars, they used to harass you. if you had makeup on and you looked good, they made you wash your face with the dirty water that washed the floors. >> reporter: the fight in the streets went on six nights. when it ended, a number of gay rights organizations were born. it was such an important moment,

there's a national monument outside. next year, history will be made again. >> this space is going to be the stonewall national monument visitors center, which will be the first lgbtq visitor center within the national park system. >> it is amazing to me that i am a 50-something-year-old gay man who has never been to stonewall. >> you're not unique. there are a number of people who talk about they've never been to stonewall, what's the story of stonewall? and that's one of the reasons why we want to create this visitors center. >> reporter: to celebrate the construction, they're giving a golden shovel to one of this community's fiercest fighters. as an artist who puts herself out there, some say, i don't want to hear that from my musician. >> so then it's not for you, then. you don't need to subscribe, but i'm doing what i feel is intentionally right for me and what i am here as a greater purpose to do as a human being. but i'm no stranger to backlash. that's okay. >> what an incredible honor it is to be here with all of you standing in unity and in our

truth and in our love! >> reporter: there was no backlash here. she was the must-see performance of pride weekend in new york. ♪ you're beautiful no matter what they say ♪ >> i'm so appreciative for the ability that i have to share and to help other people somehow in their lives. and that's the stuff that really means the most. you know, grammys are nice, but things like this bring it back to other people and the greater purpose that we're kind of all here for is to connect. and to hopefully spread positivity and unity. >> reporter: she says it's what she teaches her own children -- love and respect for people who are different. >> there's so much violence and animosity and hate being spewed. i just don't understand that. that's not a world that i know. i don't want to live in, i don't want to raise my kids in. i always want them to have that

sense of awareness and information and knowledge, to yes, make their own choices, but lead with compassion. >> reporter: leading with compassion and sympathy, victoria cruz says it shouldn't be that hard. >> all we want is acceptance. not tolerance. you know how much we've tolerated? bias, sex and physical assaults. we've tolerated enough. what we want is acceptance. accept us for who and what we are. >> byron: our thanks to steve. up next, the familiar face who's about to spin the wheel. moderate to severe eczema still disrupts my skin. despite treatment it disrupts my skin with itch. it disrupts my skin with rash. but now, i can disrupt eczema with rinvoq. rinvoq is not a steroid, topical, or injection. it's one pill, once a day.

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♪ >> byron: finally tonight, i'd like to solve the puzzle. ryan seacrest, the media personality perhaps best known for "american idol," will take over as "wheel of fortune" host next year when pat sajak retires. seacrest said he looks forward to working alongside vanna white and called ate full-circle moment. seacrest hosted a short-lived game show called "click" 25 years ago. just like "wheel of fortune," created by the late merv griffin. that's "nightline" for this evening. catch our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for the company, america. good night. like my morning ride.