Andrew Lester, accused of shooting black teen Ralph Yarl, turns himself in
Andrew Lester, 84, from Missouri has turned himself in to the police after shooting a 16-year-old boy who mistakenly rang his doorbell. He
Andrew Lester was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action but has not been charged with a hate crime, despite a “racial component” being identified by prosecutors.
The white homeowner shot Ralph Yarl, a black teenager, once in the head and once in the arm last Thursday night in Kansas City. The boy survived, although doctors are not sure how. He’s now at home recovering.
Prosecutors say that Ralph did not cross the threshold of Mr Lester’s home, and no words were exchanged before the homeowner opened fire with a .32 revolver. Mr Lester has not denied shooting the boy, telling authorities he believed he was protecting himself from a confrontation.
He was released on bail after posting 10% of the $200,000 (£160,000) amount. Ralph’s mother, Cleo Nagbe, told CBS News that her son had returned home from the hospital and was surrounded by a team of medical professionals. Lee Merritt, a lawyer for the Yarl family, said that Ralph was suffering from speech problems and had a long road to recovery.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to pay for Ralph’s medical recovery and had raised more than $3m (£2.4m) as of Tuesday.