White man to stand trial for shooting Black teen who rang wrong door
An 86-year-old white man accused of shooting a Black teenager who mistakenly rang the wrong home's doorbell in Kansas City is set to face a jury trial.
A Missouri judge ruled Tuesday that Andrew Lester is fit for trial for the 2023 shooting of Ralph Yarl, then 16. In an affidavit in September, Lester's attorney Steve Salmon requested a mental health examination following what he described as a "marked reduction in Defendant's mental acuity." Salmon said Lester couldn't assist in his own defense in the criminal case.
Lester faces two felony counts of first-degree assault and armed criminal action. The judge's ruling Tuesday allowed the case to continue after a mental examination had been filed in court.
In a statement to the local television station FOX4, Yarl’s family said they were “grateful that the trial against Andrew Lester is moving forward.
“This case represents more than just accountability — it’s a step toward justice for the trauma Ralph and our family have endured simply because he rang the doorbell at the wrong home,” the statement said. “We remain committed to seeking fairness and ensuring that no other family has to face such pain due to the color of their skin.”
Lester’s attorney didn’t respond to phone or email requests from USA TODAY.
What happened to Ralph Yarl?
On April 13, 2023, Yarl, a high school junior, went to pick up his younger twin brothers from their friend's house. He mistakenly rang the wrong doorbell.
Yarl told police he pressed the door bell and waited outside the front door. The person inside took a long time to respond but opened the door holding a firearm. Yarl said he didn’t pull on the door, and it was his first time coming to the home. No words were exchanged between the two.
Lester shot through the glass door, hitting Yarl in the forehead and right arm, according to police records. Yarl said he was immediately shot in the head, fell to the ground, and was shot again, in the arm, while on the ground. He soon got up and ran to nearby homes pleading for help.
Officers found Yarl in the street near Lester’s home just before 10 p.m. Yarl had serious injuries but was in stable condition.
Police found Lester at his home, where the front storm glass door was shattered and blood on the front porch, driveway and street. Police found a revolver in his living room with two shell casings in the cylinder with live rounds remaining in the chamber.
Lester told police he had just laid down in bed when he heard the doorbell ring. He picked up his gun before responding to answer the door. He told police he saw a Black male, approximately 6 feet tall, pulling on the exterior door, which was locked. He said he thought someone was attempting to break into the home and shot twice within a few seconds.
Lester said he called 911. He saw Yarl’s car in the driveway but saw no one else. He hadn’t seen Yarl before. He told police he was “scared to death” because of Yarl’s size and his own age, then 84.
The police statement said, “Lester was visibly upset and repeatedly expressed concern for the victim.”
Police booked Lester for charges of aggravated assault. But after consulting with local prosecutors, police released Lester just a few hours later, the detective’s statement said.
No hate crime charges
The shooting renewed debate over self-defense laws in the U.S., especially as Lester's attorney has appeared to indicate he would argue Lester acted in self-defense, citing Missouri's "stand your ground" law.
High-profile civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, retained by Yarl’s family, had criticized the police handling of the case. Lester was arrested again, after surrendering, on April 18, and released on a $200,000 bond.
There was outcry to charge the case as a hate crime, but prosecutors never filed such charges.
Yarl’s family had also filed a lawsuit against Lester and his homeowners association over the shooting, though court records show the family voluntarily dismissed the case in October.
Yarl, now 18, “suffered and sustained permanent injuries,” the family’s lawsuit had said. He also experienced disability and loss of normal activities, and also had to spend large amounts of money for medical attention and suffered other losses and damages.
Through a GoFundMe, his family raised over $3.4 million to help with his medical bills and therapy, including for a traumatic brain injury. The GoFundMe, created by a woman identified as his aunt, said his goal was to study chemical engineering at Texas A&M University. His family described him as an accomplished musician who could play multiple instruments.
On Memorial Day in 2023, a month after being shot in the head and arm, Yarl walked at a brain injury awareness event in Kansas City.
N'Dea Yancey-Bragg and Thao Nguyen of USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: White man to stand trial in shooting of Ralph Yarl who rang wrong door