International
Man Dies Before Sentencing for Shooting Black Teen
- Andrew Lester, 86, dies weeks before sentencing for shooting teen Ralph Yarl at wrong address.
- Yarl’s family expresses frustration, saying justice was “never truly served.”
- Shooting sparked national outrage, with protests and celebrity support.
An 86-year-old Missouri man, Andrew Lester, has died just weeks before his scheduled sentencing for the 2023 shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who mistakenly went to the wrong house.
Lester, who pleaded guilty to second-degree assault last week, was set to be sentenced on March 7 and faced up to seven years in prison. However, his passing means the legal proceedings are now closed, leaving the victim’s family frustrated that “justice was never truly served.”
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The incident occurred on April 13, 2023, when Yarl, attempting to pick up his younger brothers, rang Lester’s doorbell in Kansas City. Prosecutors said Lester fired at the unarmed teen without speaking to him. Yarl, who was shot in the forehead and arm, survived the attack and has since graduated from high school.
In a statement, the Clay County prosecutor’s office acknowledged Lester’s death and extended condolences to his family, emphasizing that he had accepted responsibility by pleading guilty.
However, Yarl’s family expressed disappointment that Lester “escaped sentencing,” stating:
“One of the reasons we pushed for a speedy trial was to show that our society does not condone shooting an unarmed, innocent child simply for ringing the wrong doorbell—especially when that child was targeted because of the color of his skin.”
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While police initially described the attack as having a “racial component,” Lester was not charged with a hate crime. His defense team argued that he acted in self-defense, believing Yarl was attempting to break into his home.
The shooting sparked widespread protests in Kansas City and drew national attention, with support from celebrities including Halle Berry, Kerry Washington, and Jennifer Hudson.
Yarl’s case was one of several high-profile “wrong-place” shootings in 2023, including the killing of 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis in upstate New York after her car mistakenly pulled into the wrong driveway.
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