Ralph Yarl, 16, reveals shooter Andrew Lester's chilling words before he fled for his life
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: Andrew Lester, the elderly white Missouri homeowner charged with shooting the Black teen, Ralph Yarl, when he mistakenly rang his doorbell allegedly told him, “don’t come around here” as Yarl flee for his life after being shot in his head and arm on Thursday, April 13. The callous shooting has the nation divided and seeking justice for Yarl, 16, which prompted the arrest of Lester, 84, who now faces life imprisonment after being charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action.
Yarl told Kansas City investigators, he arrived at the wrong address on Thursday night to pick up his twin brothers when he rang Lester's doorbell. The homeowner claimed he was “scared to death” and believed someone was trying to break into his home and was merely defending himself, which would reflect Missouri’s “stand your ground” law. Further investigation will reveal Lester's fate if he's able to prove in court that he faced a legitimate threat when Yarl rang his doorbell.
READ MORE
What is Sami's Law? Dad of slain student thrilled as US House passes rideshare impersonation law
What happened between Andrew Lester and Ralph Yarl?
Lester told police that he was about to go to bed when he heard the doorbell ring. The 84-year-old claims to have seen a “Black male approximately 6 feet tall pulling on the storm door handle.” Although the 16-year-old maintains he never touched Lester’s door and had never been on the property before that night. Lester grabbed a .32 revolver and opened the inside door and swiftly fired at the boy. The high-achieving student told cops he was “immediately shot in the head” and fell to the ground before he was again fired in the arm. Impaired Yarl claimed Lester warned, “Don’t come around here,” as he ran for his life, fearing the homeowner would shoot him again.
After the shooting Lester, himself called the cops whilst the gifted, young musician ran through the neighborhood, screaming for help before a man rushed to his aid. Lester told officials no communication took place between him and Yarl. A police affidavit noted that Lester “repeatedly expressed concern for the victim,” reported New York Post. Police recovered Lester's .32 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver from his home which had two spent rounds in the cylinder.
Police collected CCTV footage from Andrew Lester's hom
Subsequently, police also got hold of a hard drive connected to the home’s security cameras, but noted that the footage was “no longer functional.” The elderly man also had signs warning against solicitors and trespassers around his residence. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office reported that Lester surrendered himself at a detention center around 1:30 pm local time on Tuesday, April 18, more than 20 hours after charges were filed against him for shooting Yarl. He was released later, at around 3 pm, after he paid 10 percent of the bail amount, a $200,000 bond. Yarl is now in the process of recovering both physically, emotionally, and mentally.