An 85-year-old Kansas City, Missouri homeowner has been charged with first-degree assault after shooting a 16-year-old black boy in the head when he knocked on his front door, mistakenly believing his younger siblings sent him to pick up were there.
Clay County District Attorney Zachary Thompson said Monday an arrest warrant has been issued for the homeowner, Andrew Lester, who faces two counts of felony.
His bail is set at $200,000. If convicted, Lester could face life in prison for assault charges and 3 to 15 years for armed criminal action.
Lester is accused of shooting outstanding scholar and musician Ralph Yarl twice through glass at the front of the Kansas City home just a block from the property where his younger twin brothers were waiting to be picked up.
He pulled into the home’s driveway at 10 p.m. on April 13, rang the doorbell, and was immediately shot in the head by the homeowner.
He survived and was released from the hospital after just four days, which family lawyer Ben Crump said was a miracle.
Ralph, center, was going to try to pick up his younger siblings from a friend’s house, but went to the wrong address
Ralph Yarl, 16, was shot twice in the head by a white man after accidentally approaching the wrong house when he went to pick up his siblings
The house is Kansas City, Missouri had a “no lawyers” sign on top of the doorbell that Ralph accidentally rang
The property also had a sign saying it was ‘protected by surveillance cameras’
On the doorbell was a small sign saying ‘no lawyers’, while another said the property was ‘secured by surveillance cameras’.
The teen’s family said he picked up his younger siblings but went to the wrong address.
Lester was taken in for questioning immediately after the shooting, but was released two hours after his arrest – without any charges.
Police took a statement from Ralph in hospital last Friday before he was released from hospital on Monday to continue his recovery at home with his mother – who is a nurse.
The Kansas City Police Department also confirmed on Monday that they had filed a criminal referral with Clay County prosecutor Thompson.
Actresses Viola Davis and Halle Berry had both previously called for justice for Ralph after hundreds of protesters marched with the victim’s family outside the home of the suspected gunman to demand action on Sunday.
Over $1.7 million has been raised through a GoFundMe account to help Ralph and his family with the medical bills.
More than $1.7 million has been raised by a GoFundMe account to help Ralph and his family with the medical bills, but has been released from the hospital
The family’s lawyer, Lee Merritt, also confirmed that the suspect was held for only two hours before being released, and that police recorded a statement from Ralph from his hospital bed on Friday.
Davis and Berry had pressured Thompson to file “appropriate charges,” but his department said it was waiting for the file they now have.
The teen’s family labeled the incident a “hate crime.”
Ralph’s aunt, Dr. Faith Spoonmore, claims that when the teenager fell to the floor, he was shot again – but miraculously, he managed to run next door to a neighbor for help.
She said her cousin had to knock on three doors before he was helped, and even then he was told to lie on the floor with his hands above his head.
This wasn’t a ‘mistake’. This is a hate crime. You don’t shoot a kid in the head for ringing the doorbell,’ she said.
He walked to the door, rang the bell. A man opened the door, looked him in the eye and said never come back here when he shot him in the head.
My cousin fell down and the man shot him again, he was able to get up and ran to the neighbor, who did not open the door. He ran to three houses before one of the neighbors said put your hands in the air and get down on the floor.
And then he lay on the ground as if he passed out before the neighbor called the police for help.
“You hear these stories about racism in America and you think wow, how sad is that?
“But then you have a little bit of hope because you feel like it’s very far away and it would never happen to your family or you. But God, the people in this country are sick.’
On their GoFundMe page, they say he is “well physically” but that he has “a long way to go mentally and emotionally.”
A police officer is parked outside the property where Ralph Yarl was shot when he rang the doorbell
A talented bass clarinetist, Ralph also leads part of his school’s marching band and plays multiple instruments in the Northland Symphony Youth Orchestra
The teen’s family labeled the incident a “hate crime” after he was shot in the head and arm
Ralph was known to his peers for his intellect and for being a “musical genius,” before being shot in the head and arm.
The teen had received a letter from the Yale Undergraduate Admissions Board stating that he was a “good candidate” for the prestigious university.
Ralph is a member of the Technology Student Association and his high school’s Science Olympia Team, plays in the marching, jazz, and competition bands, and is one of the top elementary clarinetists in Missouri.
He had big dreams of going to college after being recognized as an alumni of the Missouri Scholar Academy in 2022.
Ralph’s lawyers specialize in civil rights and have previously represented the families of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Cameron Lamb.
Police Chief Stacey Graves said her department is working to quickly prepare evidence in the case for Clay County prosecutor
His family has enlisted the services of civil rights attorneys Lee Merritt and Ben Crump, who have represented the families of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Cameron Lamb.
Police Chief Stacey Graves said at a press conference on Sunday, “I want everyone to know that I’m listening and that I understand the concern we’re getting from the community.
“After discussions with the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office, the homeowner was released pending further investigation due to the need to obtain a formal statement from the victim, gather forensic evidence, and collect additional information for a filed file.
“Detectives have spent the past few days compiling a detailed file so they have all the information they need to make the best prosecution decision in the case.
“We want the community to know that we are committed to justice in this cause, working every case and every day to seek that justice for all victims of all crimes.”
She noted that Missouri law allows a person to be held for up to 24 hours for a crime investigation, after which they must be arrested or formally charged.
Investigators will also consider whether or not the suspect was protected within the Stand Your Ground laws.
Officials would not confirm how many times the homeowner shot the victim or where his injuries were.