Ralph Yarl: Shooting Suspect’s Grandson Breaks Silence

For the first time, Andrew Lester’s family has spoken out against the white homeowner’s shooting of the Black adolescent Ralph Yarl.

According to Mr. Lester’s grandson Daniel Ludwig, the violent confrontation “never should have happened.”

“It’s just crazy. I wish it didn’t happen,” he said.

On the evening of April 13, Ralph accidentally traveled to Northeast 115th Street in Kansas City, Missouri, to pick up his brothers instead of a residence in the 1100 block of Northeast 115th Terrace, according to authorities.

The 16yrs old teenager entered the wrong house by mistake, and Mr. Lester is accused of shooting him twice through a glass screen door as he waited outside the door to the residence.

The unintentional visit by Ralph to Andrew Lester’s home in the Kansas City neighborhood of the Northland swiftly descended into violence, leaving the high school student with significant injuries that required hospitalization.

Ralph sustained head and arm bullet wounds. He was discharged from the hospital at the weekend.

As a result of the incident, Mr. Lester is currently accused of two felonies. Ralph Lester’s grandson, who claimed to be “very close” to his grandfather, said he comprehends how simple it was for Ralph to become lost in the city.

“I’d go to visit my grandpa, and I would get lost on those streets. It’s easy to do. They all look the same and everything,” he said.

The 84yrs-old homeowner turned himself in to police on Tuesday afternoon, and now prosecutors have filed accusations against him.

Clay County’s prosecutor, Zachary Thompson, revealed on Monday afternoon that Mr. Lester had been charged with two felonies: first-degree assault, which has a sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison or life, and armed criminal action, which carries a sentence of 3 to 15 years.

The prosecution responded that it would not be possible under state law when asked if Mr. Lester could also be charged with a hate crime.

A hate crime in Missouri is a lesser category of felony, therefore adding the allegation would subject the defendant to double jeopardy, he claimed.

“While this is certainly a step in the right direction, we will continue to fight for Ralph while he works towards a full recovery,” Mr. Crump said in a statement.

In a press conference, Clay County prosecutor Zachary Thompson stated that “there was a racial component to the case,” but he would not elaborate on what had led him to that conclusion.

Andrew D. Lester was accused of assault in the first degree, a crime that carries a sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison or life. Additionally, armed criminal action, which carries a sentence of three to fifteen years, has been brought against him.

A $200,000 bond has been established, according to Mr. Thompson, but the suspect wasn’t in custody at that time. The booking procedure for Mr. Lester was in progress when the Clay County Sheriff’s Office announced on Tuesday afternoon that he had turned himself in at a detention facility.