Kansas City teen Ralph Yarl recalls night he was shot by homeowner
31 August 2023
LIBERTY, Mo. — A Northland man who shot 17-year-old Ralph Yarl after he went to the wrong house will now go to trial.
In a preliminary hearing Thursday, a Clay County judge ruled that 84-year-old Andrew Lester should stand trial in the April 13 shooting of Yarl.
The teenager was picking up his younger brothers but went to the wrong Kansas City, Missouri, house. Lester told authorities that he shot Yarl through the door without warning because he was “scared to death” he was about to be robbed.
No words were exchanged before the shooting, but as Yarl got up to run, he heard Lester yell, “Don’t come around here,” court documents say.
Lester, a retired aircraft mechanic, is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He previously pleaded not guilty.
The shooting shocked the country and renewed national debates about gun policies and race in America.
At Thursday’s court hearing, a handful of people wearing shirts that said “Justice for Ralph” were seen entering the courthouse. Others wore shirts that read: “Ringing a doorbell is not a crime.”
Clay County prosecuting attorney Zachary Thompson has said there was a “racial component” to the case but has not elaborated.
Lester’s attorney, Steven Brett Salmon, suggested in earlier court filings that he planned to argue that Lester acted in self-defense, citing Missouri’s “stand your ground” law.
Missouri is one of about 30 states with laws that say people can respond with physical force when they are threatened.
Salmon has said that Lester’s home was egged and spray-painted after the shooting. He said Lester has sought law enforcement assistance when traveling, and his wife had to be moved from her nursing home.
Support for Yarl and his family poured in over the past few months. A GoFundMe set up on the family’s behalf raised nearly $3.5 million.
This is a developing story. FOX4 will update with more testimony from the court hearing.