After narrowly escaping death, 16-year-old Ralph Yarl is recovering in his Kansas City, Missouri, home. Yarl was shot twice last week when he accidentally went to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers. Police have issued a warrant to arrest the alleged shooter, 84-year-old Andrew Lester.
Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson announced Lester has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action, both felonies.
The story continues to unfold, with many questioning the motivation behind the shooting, wondering if race played a role in the attack. Yarl is Black, and Lester is white. While in recovery, Yarl spoke with police and gave his account of what happened. According to CNN, the alleged shooter's and the victim's stories differ.
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Lester alleges he was in bed when Yarl showed up at his door.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by CNN, Lester told police he heard the doorbell ring late Thursday while lying in bed. Upon hearing his doorbell, he picked up a .32 caliber revolver and got out of bed.
He went to his door, which included interior and glass exterior doors. Lester reportedly told police that he saw an approximately 6-foot-tall Black male allegedly pulling on the outer door. He thought the young man was attempting to break into his home. Lester did not indicate he had any conversation with Yarl.
"He believed he was protecting himself from a physical confrontation and could not take the chance of the male coming in," the document reads.
After allegedly shooting Yarl twice, once in the head and a second time in the arm, Lester said he called 911.
The teenage victim contends he was not trying to rob Lester.
Police spoke to Yarl at Children's Mercy Hospital shortly after the shooting, and he gave a different account. The Kansas City Star reported that in a probable cause statement, Yarl said that Lester did speak to him, allegedly saying, "Don't come around here." The teen also denied pulling on Lester's door.
Yarl's family says he is innocent.
On a GoFundMe page established by Yarl's aunt, Faith Spoonmore, she wrote Yarl accidentally ended up at Lester's home.
"On Thursday, April 13, 2023, my nephew Ralph Pual Yarl was on his way to pick up his twin younger brothers from their friend's house a few blocks away from his house. He didn't have his phone. He mistakenly went to the wrong house, one block away from the house where his siblings were. He pulled into the driveway and rang the doorbell," she wrote. "The man in the home opened the door, looked my nephew in the eye, and shot him in the head. My nephew fell to the ground, and the man shot him again. Ralph was then able to get up and run to the neighbor's house, looking for help."
She described the teen as a talented student and musician with great things ahead of him. "Ralph deserves to have the future that he has dreams about. He deserves to be the light that shows the world that LOVE wins and that humanity is still Good," she wrote.
The account has raised more than $2.8 million thus far.
Police arrested Lester on Thursday, but he was released.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves addressed the media in a brief press conference Monday and explained why Lester was not in police custody.
Missouri law says that police can hold a person for up to 24 hours for a suspected felony, Graves explained. After that, the law requires police to charge or release a suspect. At the 24-hour mark, police did not have enough evidence to hold Lester. In the days since the shooting, police gathered the information they needed to arrest him.
In a Monday press conference, Thompson announced Lester's charges, and when asked if the shooting was racially motivated, the prosecutor said yes but declined to comment further.
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The shooting has garnered national attention.
The Yarl family's lawyer, well-known civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, said President Joe Biden has spoken with Yarl and his family, sharing prayers and extending an invitation to the White House after he recovers, the Star reported.
The name "Ralph Yarl" is trending across many social media platforms, with support coming from millions. Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted about the shooting along with several celebrities, including Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Hudson, Viola Davis, and Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Harris Tweeted, "Doug and I are praying for Ralph Yarl and his family as he fights for his life. Let's be clear: No child should ever live in fear of being shot for ringing the wrong doorbell. Every child deserves to be safe. That's the America we are fighting for."
According to Paul Yarl, Ralph Yarl's father, he is home from the hospital and recovering.
"He's in good spirits. He cracked a smile today," Paul Yarl told Fox 4. "One of his teachers from elementary school asked him for permission to give a testimony, how good of a student Ralph was. So, when Ralph saw that request from his elementary school teacher, he smiled, said, 'Of course he can talk about me.'"
As of Monday evening, Lester was not in jail, but police issued a warrant for his arrest, and he will face a $200,000 bond. It is unclear if he has obtained a lawyer. If convicted, Lester could spend a minimum of 10 years to a maximum of life in prison, according to the Star.
