Charges have been filed in the shooting of Black teenager Ralph Yarl. Prosecutors in Kansas City, Missouri have charged the white homeowners who shot Yarl after we went to the wrong house to pick up his siblings.
The charges were announced by Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson in a news conference Monday evening. Homeowner, Andrew D. Lester received two felony counts. The white 85-year-old was charged with one count of assault in the first degree and one count of armed criminal action. Bond for Lester would be set to $200,000 according to Thompson.
“The probable cause statement indicates the rounds were fired through a glass door,” Thompson said, and that “the victim in the case did not cross the threshold.”
“As the prosecutor of Clay County, I can tell you there was a racial component to the case,” Thompson added.
Yarl was shot once in the head and once in the arm. He was seriously injured however he was released from the hospital and is now back home.
The 16-year-old went to pick up his brothers from a friend’s house. Yarl rang the doorbell of the wrong house by accident. Lester allegedly opened the door then saw Yarl and shot him in the head. Once Yarl fell to the ground, Lester allegedly shot him again. Yarl was able to get up and run from the property. Unfortunately, he had visited three different homes before someone helped him.
Kansas City police said they responded at around 10 p.m. The homeowner was taken into custody Thursday and placed on a 24-hour hold, but was then released.
WBLS will be updating this story as it develops.