An 85-year-old white man who shot a Black teen that approached the wrong house in Kansas City, Missouri, while trying to pick up his younger brothers has been charged with first-degree assault
Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said at a news conference that there was a “racial component” to the incident Thursday night in which Andrew Lester twice shot 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who is recovering at home after being released from the hospital on Sunday. But nothing in the charging documents says the shooting was racially motivated, Thompson clarified.
Rev. Vernon Howard, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City, called the shooting a “heinous and hate-filled crime.” Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on Twitter that"No child should ever live in fear of being shot for ringing the wrong doorbell.” The Missouri Senate held a moment of silence for Yarl on Monday.
No words were exchanged before the shooting, the probable cause statement said. But afterward, as Yarl got up to run, he heard Lester yell, “Don’t come around here,” the statement said. A number for Lester was not in service on Monday evening and it was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney to speak on his behalf.
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