Shooting of Ralph Yarl

On April 13, 2023, Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old black teenager, was shot twice and wounded after ringing the doorbell to the wrong house in Kansas City, Missouri. Yarl was attempting to pick up his twin brothers and ended up at the wrong address.[1]

Shooting of Ralph Yarl
LocationKansas City, Missouri, U.S.
DateApril 13, 2023 (2023-04-13)
c. 10:00 p.m. (CST)
Attack type
Shooting
VictimRalph Yarl (survived)
AccusedAndrew Daniel Lester
ChargesFirst-degree assault, armed criminal action

Andrew Daniel Lester, an 84-year-old white man, was charged in connection with the shooting on April 17, 2023. He is charged with armed criminal action and first-degree assault, which is the equivalent of attempted murder in Missouri. The Clay County district attorney stated that there was a "racial component" to the shooting.[2] If convicted, Lester faces 10 years to life in prison.[3]

The shooting gained additional attention as the first of four shootings across the US to occur in a one-week period, which were all characterized by young people being met with gunfire after making a mistake. The others were the killing of Kaylin Gillis in Hebron, New York, after she mistakenly entered the wrong driveway, the shooting of two cheerleaders in Elgin, Texas, after they mistakenly entered the wrong car, and the shooting of Kinsley White and her parents in Gastonia, North Carolina, after her basketball rolled into a neighbor's yard.[4]

Background

The victim was Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old African American student at Staley High School.[5] His parents emigrated to the United States from Liberia.[6] Yarl is described by friends and family as an academically gifted student with an interest in music, with plans to study chemical engineering at Texas A&M University.[2][7] Yarl was subsequently described as a "lanky kid" who was 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) tall and weighed 140 pounds (64 kg).[8]

Shooting

In the evening hours of April 13, Yarl had been sent to pick up his siblings from an address in the 1100 block of NE 115th Terrace. He mistakenly went to a home less than a block away on NE 115th Street and rang the doorbell. Investigators allege that Lester shot Yarl twice through the house's front glass door. The Kansas City Police Department responded to reports of a shooting near the home a little before 10 p.m.[9] Lester stated to the police that he believed that Yarl was trying to break in, and was "scared to death" of Yarl's size. Lester also claimed that Yarl put his hand on the door handle, though Yarl disputes this.[6]

Yarl tried to get help at three different homes before someone finally agreed to help him.[10] Neighbors had found Yarl lying injured in the street and called police, who found Yarl with at least two gunshot wounds to the head and arm.[9]

Accused

The suspect was identified as 84-year-old Andrew Daniel Lester, a local resident.[11][12][13] His grandson said Lester held a negative view of minorities.[14] Other family members disputed this characterization.[7]

In the early morning hours of April 14, Lester was taken into custody. No initial charges were filed against Lester, and he was released after being held in custody for a short time,[9][1] listed as "out of custody" and "general release" status on the same day.[15]

The Clay County, Missouri, prosecutor's office stated on April 17 that they had not received a criminal referral from the Kansas City Police Department in regards to the shooting.[16] Later that day, it was announced that Lester would be charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. First-degree assault is the name in Missouri for the charge that other states call attempted murder.[17] The district attorney stated there was a "racial component" to the case.[2] Assistant prosecuting attorney Alexander Higginbotham clarified that "there is not a racial element to the legal charges that were filed". Legal experts noted this was likely because a hate crime charge would have carried a lower maximum sentence than the charges filed.[18] Lester surrendered himself to authorities on April 18, and was released on bail later that day.[19]

Lester's first court appearance was on June 1, with preliminary hearing dates set for August 31 and September 1. The Clay County judge also agreed to partially seal the case in response to a protective order filed by Lester's attorney, causing for the discovery in the case to be only shared with the prosecutors and not the public. This is partly due to the "wide-ranging publicity" that has cast Lester "in a negative light" that has continued to erode his ability to have a fair trial.[20]

Aftermath

A weekend rally was held after the shooting, during which members of the community and family members marched to and demonstrated in front of the suspected shooter's home, while calling for official charges to be filed.[9] A GoFundMe was created for Yarl by a family member to cover his medical bills, which had reached more than $2 million in donations by April 17[21][22][6] and nearly $3.5 million by May 4.

Yarl was discharged from the hospital on April 16.[6] Subsequently, President Joe Biden called Yarl and his mother to discuss his recovery.[23] Yarl, family and friends later participated in the "Going the Distance for Brain Injury" event in Kansas City, Missouri, which is a yearly Memorial Day event at Loose Park.[24] Ahead of the event Yarl's aunt spoke to reporters and stated that while Yarl was excited to return to his normal routine, they had to remind him to slow down as he suffers from debilitating migraines, balance issues, mood changes and emotion comprehension along with PTSD from the shooting.[25]

Response

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas extended his sympathies to Yarl and his family, as did Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves. Yarl's family retained civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump shortly after the shooting, who stated that there was "no excuse" for the release of the suspect and demanded swift legal action.[26]

See also

References
  1. Czachor, Emily Mae (April 17, 2023). "Shooting of Ralph Yarl, teen who mistakenly rang the wrong doorbell, sparks outrage". CBS News. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  2. Burnside, Tina; Mossburg, Cheri; Jackson, Amanda (April 17, 2023). "White homeowner accused of shooting Black teen who went to the wrong house in Kansas City will face 2 felony charges, officials announce". CNN. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  3. "Missouri Assault Laws and Penalties". www.criminaldefenselawyer.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023. If a first-degree assault results in serious physical injury to the victim, the crime is a class A felony, which is punishable by 10 to 30 years (or even life) in prison.
  4. Osterheldt, Jeneé (April 20, 2023). "There is no pro-life in a country that shoots its kids". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  5. "Black teen shot after ringing wrong doorbell is a gifted chemistry student and a 'gentle soul,' former teacher says". NBC News. April 18, 2023. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  6. Zhou, Li (April 17, 2023). "The outrage over Ralph Yarl's shooting, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  7. Ortiz, Erik (April 20, 2023). "Grandson of man who shot Ralph Yarl says "fear" and conspiracies consume him". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  8. Osterheldt, Jeneé. "There is no pro-life in a country that shoots its kids". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  9. Burnside, Tina; Mossburg, Cheri; Jackson, Amanda (April 17, 2023). "Homeowner accused of shooting Black teen in Kansas City will face 2 felony charges, officials announce". KOMU 8. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  10. "Kansas City police investigating shooting of Black teen who went to wrong house". PBS NewsHour. April 17, 2023. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  11. Fung, Katherine (April 17, 2023). "Who is Andrew Lester?". Newsweek. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  12. "Unexpected old man charged against a youngster: 84-year-old charged with shooting a 16-year-old". Fox4KC (WDAF-TV). April 17, 2023. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  13. "Kansas City homeowner accused of shooting Black teen charged with two felonies". Myhighplains. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  14. Krishnan, Manisha (April 20, 2023). "Man Who Shot Ralph Yarl Watched Fox News Nonstop and Said 'Racist Things,' Grandson Says". Vice. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  15. McBride, Jessica (April 17, 2023). "Five facts about Andrew Daniel Lester". Heavy. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  16. "Clay County prosecutor: 'We have not yet received a criminal referral' from KCPD in shooting of Ralph Yarl". KMBC. April 17, 2023. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  17. Wallington, Natalie (April 20, 2023). "Andrew Lester could face life in prison for shooting Ralph Yarl. What to know about charges". kansascity.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  18. Salter, Margaret Stafford and Jim (April 18, 2023). "White man charged with shooting black teenager surrenders to police in US". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  19. Hampton J, Deon; Helsel, Phil; Samee Ali, Sofia (April 18, 2023). "Andrew Lester, 84-year-old Kansas City man accused of shooting Ralph Yarl, is in custody". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  20. Zaru, Deena; Negussie, Tesfaye (June 1, 2023). "Judge rules Andrew Lester case to be partially sealed in the shooting of teenager Ralph Yarl". ABC News. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  21. Jackson, Tina; Burnside, Cheri; Mossburg, Amanda (April 17, 2023). "Accused shooter in Kansas City shooting of Black teen who went to the wrong house is White man in his 80s". CNN. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  22. Sharp, Rachel (April 17, 2023). "GoFundMe for Black teen Ralph Yarl who was shot in the head by white homeowner tops $1m | the Independent". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  23. Alba, Monica; Doyle, Katherine (April 18, 2023). "Biden spoke at length with Ralph Yarl and stressed commitment to fighting gun violence". NBC News. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  24. "Ralph Yarl, shot for ringing wrong doorbell, walks at brain injury event". NBC News. May 30, 2023. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  25. Ritter, Sarah (May 29, 2023). "'Still hope': Ralph Yarl, KC teen shot after ringing doorbell, raises brain injury awareness". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  26. Headlee, Peyton (April 17, 2023). "'We are praying for healing,' Hundreds march in support of 16-year-old boy shot after knocking on wrong door". KMBC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
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