Man who shot teenager Ralph Yarl for ringing wrong doorbell dies after pleading guilty
Andrew Lester, the man responsible for shooting teenager Ralph Yarl for ringing his doorbell, has died.
On April 13, 2023, Yarl - who was 16 at the time - rang the doorbell on Lester's Kansas City home after mixing up the property for another.
Yarl was picking up his twin brothers from a friend's house and accidentally went to the wrong home. And the small mistake almost ended up fatal for Yarl, as Lester proceeded to shoot him in the head.
Reportedly, Lester thought the young boy was trying to break into his house.
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By means of a miracle, the teenager survived the ordeal despite ending up with life-threatening injuries, and was released from hospital just a few days later.
A now-closed GoFundMe page was created for Yarl at the time to hep fund his recovery and his future, where a staggering $3.4 million was raised.
Charges went on to be filed against Lester, who initially pleaded not-guilty and was released of $200,000 bond, ABC News reports.
But last Friday (February 14), Lester entered a guilty plea for felony assault in the second degree — a felony that comes with the possibility of seven years behind bars.
He was due to be sentenced on March 7, but Lester has since died.
Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson has spoken out since the news of the 86-year-old's death.
"We have learned of the passing of Andrew Lester and extend our sincere condolences to his family during this difficult time," he said.
"While the legal proceedings have now concluded, we acknowledge that Mr. Lester did take responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty in this case. Our thoughts remain with both families affected by this tragic incident as they continue their healing process."
Yarl's family have also addressed the news of Lester's passing and said that his death 'brings a mix of emotions'.
The family went on to tell ABC News: "We remain committed to seeking a world where no child fears for their life because of their race, and no family has to endure what we have. Ralph’s story is far from over, and neither is our fight for justice."
Yarl's shooting caused a lot of controversy at the time.
While Lester was brought in for questioning by police, he went on to be released without charge. This sparked protests across Kansas City, which drew support from celebrities like Halle Berry, Jennifer Hudson, and Kerry Washington, says BBC News.
Ultimately an arrest warrant went on to be issued and Lester turned himself in.
Niamh Shackleton