Prosecutor files 2 felony charges against suspect in Ralph Yarl shooting

Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on April 17, 2023

(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — The Clay County Prosecutor’s Office announced that it filed two criminal charges against a suspect in the April 13 shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in Kansas City, Missouri.

Andrew Lester, an 85-year-old white man, was charged with one count of felony assault in the first degree and one count of armed criminal action, also a felony, Clay County prosecuting attorney Zachary Thompson said during a press conference Monday evening.

The 16-year-old Black teenager was shot Thursday night by a homeowner in Kansas City after he accidentally went to the wrong address to pick up his siblings, police said on Sunday.

“He knowingly caused physical injury to [Yarl] by shooting him,” Thompson said, adding that the first count is a class A felony with a sentence of up to life in prison, while the second count is an unclassified felony and carries a range of punishment of 3-15 years in prison.

A warrant was issued for Lester’s arrest and a bond was set at $200,000, Thompson added. It’s unclear if Lester has retained an attorney.

Attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the Yarl family, told ABC News on Monday that Ralph was released from the hospital on Saturday and is in the care of his doctors at home.

He said the family is “extremely relieved that criminal charges are finally moving forward.”

“‘Justice delayed is justice denied.’ We are relieved that charges are finally moving forward but are disappointed in the delay that necessitated national outcry for an obvious crime,” Merritt said in a statement. “We are cautiously optimistic about accountability and justice.”

The charges came after protests erupted in Kansas City over the weekend after Lester, who was unidentified at the time, was taken into custody and then released pending an investigation by the Kansas City Police Department.

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said during a press conference Sunday evening that after the shooting, the suspect was taken into police custody and placed on a 24-hour investigative hold but had since been released while police investigate and present evidence to the prosecutor’s office.

“After consulting with the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office, the homeowner was released pending further investigation due to the need to obtain a formal statement from the victim, forensic evidence and compile additional information for a case file to be presented,” Graves said on Sunday.

Police announced on Monday afternoon that they submitted the case to the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office; prosecutors announced the charges two hours later.

“We understand how frustrating this has been,” Thompson said. “But I can assure you that the criminal justice system is working and will continue to work. As with any serious case, we approached this one in an objective and impartial manner.”

His aunt Faith Spoonmore told ABC News on Monday that Ralph was shot in the head through a glass door and then in the arm and suffered a traumatic brain injury and an injury in his arm.