Missouri homeowner who shot black teen Ralph Yarl in the head after he rang doorbell charged with two felonies

Andrew D. Lester, 85, was charged with assault in the first degree and armed criminal action for the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in a crime that had a “racial component”

Lester shot Yarl in the head and in arm, after the teen mistakenly arrived on his doorstep to pick up his younger brothers who were waiting for him at a home about a block away

Yarl sustained life-threatening injuries when he was shot, and hundreds of protestors rallied after Lester, was initially released

Lester was not immediately arrested on Monday evening, but his bond was set at $200,000

The suspect is facing 10 to 30 years or life in prison if convicted on those charges

Homeowner Andrew D. Lester [photo], was charged in the shooting of Ralph Yarl.

The homeowner who allegedly shot a black teen in the head after he mistakenly rang his doorbell in Kansas City was hit with two felony counts on Monday as prosecutors said he could spend the rest of his life in jail.
Andrew D. Lester, 85, was charged with assault in the first degree and armed criminal action for the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in a crime that had a “racial component,” according to the Clay County Prosecutor Office.
Lester was not immediately arrested on Monday evening. A bond of $200,000 was set for the suspect.
Lester shot Yarl twice — once in the head and once in arm — after the teen mistakenly arrived on his doorstep to pick up his younger brothers who were actually waiting for him at a home about a block away.
The charges carry 10 to 30 years behind bars, or life in prison, prosecutors said.
“The defendant is charged with [a Class] A felony,” Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said at a Monday press conference. “It’s the highest level offense in the state of Missouri.”
Thompson said there was “a racial component” to the case, but didn’t elaborate.
Lester, who is white, exchanged no words with the teen before allegedly shooting him through a glass door with a 32-caliber revolver Thursday night.

Andrew D. Lester shot Ralph Yarl twice through a glass door. The teen suffered life-threatening injuries [photo]

There were also no witnesses and no footage of the interaction, Thompson said.
Earlier on Monday, it was revealed that there were signs warning against solicitors and trespassers at the home where Yarl was shot.
A small sign right above the doorbell Yarl rang reads, “No Solicitors,” and another sign by the side fence states: “This property is protected by surveillance cameras.”
The black Missouri teen is “one of the top bass clarinet players in Missouri,” according to his family. The 16-year-old is also a part of his school’s Technology Student Association and Science Olympiad Team.
Yarl was shot in the head after he rang the wrong doorbell while trying to pick up his twin brothers at a home in Kansas City, Missouri. The teen had mistakenly gone to N.E. 115th Street in Kansas City instead of nearby N.E. 115th Terrace on Thursday evening.
Police said Yarl, 16, sustained life-threatening injuries when he was shot.
Hundreds of protestors rallied after the gunman, 85-year-old Andrew D. Lester, was initially released.
Demonstrators on Sunday gathered outside the shooter’s home to demand charges against him, chanting, “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now! If we don’t get it, shut it down!”
The teen’s aunt, Dr Faith Spoonmore, talked about the terrifying incident on a GoFundMe page, which has raised more than $900,000.
The homeowner could spend the rest of his life in jail after prosecutors charged him with two felony counts. Lester was charged with assault in the first degree and armed criminal action for the shooting, which had a “racial component,” according to the Clay County Prosecutor Office.
The charges carry 10 to 30 years behind bars, or life in prison, prosecutors said.
It remains unclear if Yarl read any of the signs when he arrived at the home around 10:30 p.m. The teen never crossed through the door, according to prosecutors. 
Yarl was released from the hospital Sunday and is recovering at home, his lawyer told CNN. 

Ralph Yarl was attempting to pick up his siblings when he mistakenly rang the house’s doorbell

“The prognosis is that he’s young and strong and he’s a fighter… but it’s just the beginning — he’s not out of the woods yet,”  attorney Benjamin Crump said. “The great thing is [doctors] said he was stable enough to go to his home.”
President Biden spoke to the family of the injured high school student and “offered his prayers for Ralph’s health and for justice” just before the charges against Lester were announced, according to Crump. 
“Gun violence against unarmed Black individuals must stop. Our children should feel safe, not as though they are being hunted,” the civil rights lawyer said in a statement following the announcement. “While this is certainly a step in the right direction, we will continue to fight for Ralph while he works towards a full recovery.”

Yarl was released from the hospital Sunday and is recovering at home, his lawyer said

The charges against the homeowner came after prominent activists and celebrities including Viola Davis and Halle Berry demanded justice for the shot teen.
“I’m sick and tired of this feeling,” Berry revealed on Twitter.
“… my heart completely broke when I learned this precious 16-year-old, who accidentally rang the door of the wrong address in an attempt to pick up his siblings, was shot in the head by a man who didn’t want him on his property.”
The Academy Award-winning actress said that the “innocent child” should have never been shot.
“This could be your child. This should NOT happen. Please do something today!” she added.

Hundreds of protestors rallied after the gunman, 85-year-old Andrew D. Lester, was initially released without charges while Yarl battled for his life in hospital

Attorneys for Yarl had criticized authorities on Sunday for not immediately arresting the shooter.
“There can be no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect,” attorneys Lee Merritt and Ben Crump said in a statement obtained by NBC News.
Thompson acknowledged that the “frustration” many have felt over the shooting, but insisted it was investigated the same as any other case. 
“My message to the community is that in Clay County, we enforce the laws and we follow the laws and that does not matter where you come from or what you look like or how much money you have,” he said. “Everyone is held to the same standard and nothing about this process was different than any other investigation.”