The family of accused shooter Andrew Lester, 84, is speaking out against the man they say has a history of angry behavior. Lester is accused of shooting 16-year-old Ralph Yarl when the boy mistakenly went to his door in Kansas City, Missouri, last week. After an initial interview, Lester was released from police custody, but the Clay County Prosecuting Attorney's Office later announced felony charges against him. Those include armed criminal action and first-degree assault. Lester surrendered to police on Tuesday but was released on a $200,000 bond the same day.
Now, statements from Lester's family seem to indicate that his behavior was not as shocking as some may have initially believed. Per the New York Post, multiple members of Lester's family have spoken to media outlets and shared their thoughts on the man who many believe shot Yarl because he is Black. Lester, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, is facing 10 to 30 years in prison if convicted. New details that have emerged about the alleged shooter are frightening.
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Lester has not always been a kind man.
Per the Post, Mary Clancy, 81, told the New York Times that she and Lester married when she was young and that the relationship lasted 14 years. Together they had three children, but she hasn't spoken to her ex-husband in decades. As a matter of fact, when she heard about the shooting, she didn't recognize Lester's mugshot. Clancy, who lives in California, didn't realize it was him until her daughter called.
Clancy told the Times that Lester often acted out in fits of rage during their troubled marriage and would smash things. She said when she would contact the police, however, she was met with no help from officers. They told her it was his home and he could do what he wanted, she recalled to the newspaper.
"I was always scared of him," she said. "It doesn't surprise me, what happened."
His ex-wife isn't the only one speaking out against Lester.
Klint Ludwig, 28, Lester's grandson, told the Kansas City Star he is appalled at his grandfather's actions and fully supports Ralph Yarl and his family. Ludwig lives in the Kansas City area and told the news outlet that he is thankful the teenager is recovering.
"I stand with Ralph, and really want his family to achieve justice for what happened to them," Ludwig said. "Their child or grandchild or nephew's life was fundamentally changed forever, over a mistake and someone being scared and fearful."
In addition to his anger toward his grandfather, Ludwig is frustrated with Prosecuting Attorney Zachery Thompson and the Kansas City Police Department, who he believes haven't done enough.
"The only reason why he is now receiving charges and an investigation is being held was because of community outreach to bring attention to this," he said. "The response has been great. It's been amazing to see this solidarity and coming together as a community."
The question remains: Was Lester afraid, or was the shooting racially motivated?
When Thompson addressed the media on Monday announcing charges, he said there was a "racial component" to the shooting but declined to comment further. Ludwig believes his grandfather could be considered racist.
"I believe that there have been some positions that he's held that have been bigoted or sort of disparaging," he admitted.
Ludwig also believes that his grandfather's political views and staunch conservatism may have played a part in the shooting. His views on abortion and what he called "fatherless Black families" were no secret.
He said his grandfather, a military veteran, had increased paranoia, which may have contributed to his reaction to an uninvited visitor, but he does not defend Lester.
"Ralph Yarl did nothing wrong by showing up at the wrong house, which is an honest, easy mistake. And the fact that it was almost a death sentence is disgusting," Ludwig said.
Others contend Lester is not a bad person.
In an interview with the Star, Dean Smith said his uncle is a decent human being but he is afraid and lonely. He contends that because his wife lives in a rehab facility, he acted out of self-defense when he shot Yarl. Smith said it's hard for him to believe his uncle is a racist.
"He's worked with so many people. He's been a supervisor and all over different races," he said. "He's just a really straightforward, everyday person. He was just retired military, trying to get on with life."
Yarl is lucky to be alive.
According to Yarl and his family, he was sent to pick up his twin brothers on April 13 but mistakenly went to Lester's door. Yarl said Lester opened the door, told him, "Don't come around here," and shot him twice, once in the head and a second time in the shoulder while he was on the ground.
Miraculously, Yarl got up and ran for help. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was treated and released on Monday. He is still recovering.
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Lester appeared in court Wednesday.
During a hearing on April 19, Lester pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case will continue on June 1.
Yarl's attorney, Lee Merritt, said the family did not appear in court in order to get a break from the media but that his client is recovering strongly, according to KMBC. He intends to fight the case hard to ensure Lester gets the maximum sentence.
"He's going to spend the rest of his life in prison," Merritt said. "That's the outcome that we're hoping for, all of his assets are going to become Ralph's assets, and he's going to have to deal with that."
A GoFundMe account for Yarl has raised $3.3 million thus far.
