Trial of White homeowner in shooting of Black teen who rang wrong doorbell can proceed, judge rules
By Karina Tsui, CNN
(CNN) — The prosecution of an 86-year-old White man charged in the April 2023 shooting of a Black teenager in Kansas City, Missouri, is set to proceed, a judge said Tuesday.
The decision comes after Clay County Circuit Court Judge David Chamberlain ordered a mental health evaluation of the defendant, Andrew Lester, court records show. The results of the evaluation to determine Lester’s mental fitness were not made available to the public.
Lester’s lawyer, Steve Salmon, filed a motion to request a mental health exam in September, citing his client’s weight loss, memory issues and confusion, according to CNN affiliate KMBC. CNN has reached out to Salmon for further information.
Lester was charged with one count of felony assault in the first degree and one count of armed criminal action in the shooting of Ralph Yarl –– a now-17-year-old who mistakenly went to Lester’s home to pick up his younger siblings. Lester has pleaded not guilty.
After ringing Lester’s doorbell, Yarl was shot in the head and arm. He survived with serious injuries and the possibility of long-term brain issues, according to a civil lawsuit.
The shooting, which has garnered national attention, has raised scrutiny of whether racism played a role in what happened. The case is among the many involving young Black people who have been shot or killed after mistakenly going to the wrong places.
Lester was detained the night of the shooting but released two hours later. After a public outcry, he was arrested and charged nearly a week later.
Lester told police he opened fire through a locked glass storm door after answering the doorbell and seeing Yarl pulling on an exterior door handle, according to the probable cause document obtained by CNN. He also told police he didn’t exchange words with the teen before he fired, according to the document.
Lester said he was “scared to death” due to the boy’s size, according to court documents. The teen’s family said Yarl stood 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighed 140 pounds.
Yarl said he never pulled on Lester’s door, according to the document. He said he rang the doorbell and waited a while before a man eventually opened the door and immediately shot him in the head. While he was still on the ground, Yarl told police, the gunman fired again and shot him in the arm.
Lester’s trial, which was initially set for October 7, is scheduled to begin on February 18, 2025, according to court documents.
CNN’s Holly Yan, Andy Rose, Virginia Langmaid, Eric Levenson and Chris Boyette contributed to this report.
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