An elderly man in the US state of Missouri has been charged with shooting a teenager who rang his doorbell by mistake while picking up his younger brothers. Andrew Lester, 85, has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action for shooting Ralph Yarl, 16, once in the head and once in the arm in last Thursday’s incident. The boy survived the attack.
The incident has sparked protests throughout the city, and Ralph’s family has secured legal counsel from civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump. The shooting has also drawn attention due to the racial component involved, with Mr Lester being white and Ralph being black.
According to reports, Ralph had been trying to pick up his younger brothers from a friend’s house when he accidentally knocked on Mr Lester’s door. Mr Lester claimed that he believed someone was breaking into his home and fired two shots through his door. A witness also reported hearing Ralph “screaming that he had been shot.”
Initially, the police had questioned Mr Lester and let him go before later announcing that they would press two felony charges against him. Prosecutors have stated that there was a “racial component” to the shooting, but declined to elaborate further on the specifics of the case.
Missouri citizens have the right to use force if they “reasonably” fear that they are in danger, but the details of this case have yet to be fully disclosed by the prosecutor’s office. However, Paul Yarl, Ralph’s father, has demanded that charges be filed against Mr Lester. He has stated that if the elderly man goes free, “the next black kid that’s going to ring that doorbell could get shot again.”
Meanwhile, Ralph has been released from the hospital and is at home recovering from his injuries. The incident serves as a reminder that racial tensions remain high in some parts of the US and that incidents like this can have serious and long-lasting consequences for everyone involved.
