Ralph Yarl is speaking out for the first time since Andrew Lester shot him twice on April 13.

Today (June 27), ABC’s “Good Morning America” aired its interview between the 17-year-old, his mom, and Robin Roberts. It was the teen’s first public speaking since the incident.

During the conversation, Yarl opened up about his feelings as he continues his recovery journey. “I’m just a kid and not larger than life because this happened to me,” Yarl said. “I’m just gonna keep doing all the stuff that makes me happy. And just living my life the best I can and not let this bother me.”

On the night of the shooting, Yarl was reportedly walking through a Kansas City neighborhood to pick up his younger siblings when he went down the wrong street. After knocking on Lester’s door, the 84-year-old white man shot the then-16-year-old in the head and arm. Yarl’s loved ones have previously shared that the teen suffered a traumatic brain injury from the encounter.

“You’re looking at a kid who took the SAT when he was in the eighth grade, and now his brain has slowed,” Cleo Nagbe, Yarl’s mother, told Roberts. “Physically, he looks fine, but there is a lot that has been taken from him.”

Following the incident, police questioned Lester but did not detain him. Days later, charges of felony assault in the first degree and one count of armed criminal action were filed against Lester. The Missouri homeowner pleaded not guilty to both charges in April. Although Yarl has moved past feelings of hatred for his shooter, the 17-year-old believes Lester should face consequences for his actions. “Justice is just the rule of the law, regardless of race, ethnicity, and age,” Yarl noted. On May 31, a Clay County judge agreed to partially seal documents regarding the case against Lester. The decision came after the homeowner’s lawyer filed a protective order on his behalf.