Judge to decide whether white man will stand trial for shooting Black teen who went to wrong house

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH
Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police officers have testified that the white Missouri homeowner who shooting a Black teenager after he mistakenly went to the man’s house was a frightened elderly man who “hoped he didn’t kill anybody.” A judge will decide after the preliminary hearing Thursday whether 84-year-old Andrew Lester should stand trial in the April 13 shooting of Ralph Yarl. High school student Yarl went to pick up his younger brothers but went to the wrong Kansas City, Missouri, house. Lester, a retired aircraft mechanic, is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. Lester previously pleaded not guilty. The case shocked the country and renewed national debates about gun policies and race in America.