Andrew Lester: Missouri man who shot Ralph Yarl for ringing his doorbell by mistake will stand trial
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: Andrew Lester, a White man who is facing first-degree assault and armed criminal action for allegedly firing shots at Ralph Yarl, will have to face legal trial, a judge has ordered.
The 17-year-old Black teenager had gone to pick up his brothers from an address in Kansas City, Missouri, in April when he was shot by the 84-year-old.
Yarl had to go to Northeast 115th Terrace. But unintentionally, he went to the wrong address of Northeast 115th Street, which was of the accused, before he was attacked, the Daily Mail reported.
The teen suffered gunshot injuries to his left frontal lobe and upper right arm after shots were allegedly fired by Lester.
The latest verdict was taken following a preliminary hearing in which several witnesses gave their statements before Clay County Judge Louis Angles.
Ralph Yarl said, ‘I was bleeding from my head’
This comes after in June, the victim shared his side of the story with ‘Good Morning America’.
Recalling the April 13 incident, he said, “I go into the driveway, I walk up the steps, I rang the doorbell. I didn't even know their family at all...so I think this is their house.”
Yarl continued, “I actually waited a long time. I hear the door open. I see this old man, and I'm assuming he must be their grandpa, and then he pulls out his gun.”
He also went on to say, “I'm like woah, so I back up. He points it at me so I brace and I turn my head.
“Before that, I'm thinking, there's no way he's actually going to shoot, the doors even open, he's going to shoot through his door and glass is going to get everywhere. And it happened. I'm on the ground, I fall on the glass, the shattered glass.”
Yarl added, “Before I knew it I was running away shouting Help me help me! 'I was bleeding from my head. I was thinking, how is this possible?’ He only said five words: ‘Don't come here ever again.’”
Ralph Yarl struggles to do normal things
As per reports, Yarl is physically fit now after months of recovery journey.
However, his struggle has not ended yet. The school scholar stated, “There's a lot of things that are going on inside my head that aren't normal.”
“I've been having headaches, and trouble with sleep, and sometimes my mind is just foggy. I can't concentrate on things that would be easy to do,” the teen mentioned.
Referring to Lester, Yarl added, “He should be convicted for the crimes he committed. I'm past having any personal hatred for him. He should suffer repercussions because that's what our society is made of, trust in each other and reassurance that we can coexist together in harmony.”