Ralph Yarl, 16, is pictured in a family handout via FOX4KC WDAF-TV, alongside an image of Andrew Lester, 84, in court on April 19, 2023.
A Kansas City man accused of shooting a Black teenager who mistakenly came to his door last month is scheduled to be back in court Thursday, days after a judge ruled that court documents in the case will be sealed and kept from the public.The hearing for 84-year-old Andrew Lester is to set new dates for future hearings in the case and is expected to be brief.Lester has pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of Ralph Yarl, who knocked on Lester's door on April 13 while trying to pick up his young brothers, who were at a home a block away.Andrew Lester, the 84-year-old man charged in the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl appeared in court April 20 and pleaded not guilty.
Yarl, who has celebrated his 17th birthday since the shooting, suffered gunshot wounds to his head and wrist and continues to recover at home.Lester remains free after posting $20,000 — 10% of his $200,000 bond.The shooting drew international attention amid claims that Lester, who is white, received preferential treatment from investigators in the hours after he shot Yarl.
President Joe Biden and several celebrities issued statements calling for justice for Yarl.Lester admitted that he shot Yarl through the door without warning because he was "scared to death" he was about to be robbed by the Black person standing at his door.The home of Andrew Lester, the 84-year-old white homeowner accused of shooting Black teen Ralph Yarl, is shown April 18, 2023 in Kansas City, Moissouri.