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Kansas City Homeowner Charged for Shooting Black Teen Who Rang Wrong Doorbell

HeadlineApr 18, 2023

In Kansas City, Missouri, a white 84-year-old homeowner was charged with two felonies Monday after he shot and critically injured a Black teenager who rang his doorbell by mistake. Police say the homeowner, Andrew Lester, did not exchange words with Ralph Yarl last Thursday before opening fire through a locked glass door with a .32-caliber revolver, hitting the 16-year-old twice, in the head and chest. Yarl underwent surgery to remove bullet fragments and was released from the hospital on Sunday to recover at home. Lester walked free for several days before his arrest. Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson announced the charges on Monday before taking questions from reporters.

Reporter: “Was there a racial component to this case, however?”

Zachary Thompson: “As the prosecutor of Clay County, I can tell you there was a racial component to the case.”

The 16-year-old Ralph Yarl had simply rung the doorbell of the wrong address to pick up his two younger brothers.

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