An 86-year-old man from Missouri, who admitted guilt in the shooting of a Black teenager after a mistaken doorbell ring, has passed away before his sentencing, according to prosecutors.
Andrew Lester, identified as white, entered a guilty plea on Friday for felony assault concerning the shooting of Ralph Yarl, who was 16 years old at the time of the incident.
Mr. Yarl has recovered from his injuries and is currently attending university in Texas.
Andrew Lester was set to be sentenced on March 7, but Zachary Thompson, the prosecuting attorney for Clay County, confirmed his death.
Mr. Yarl was shot twice—once in the head and once in the arm—in April 2023, when he accidentally rang the doorbell of the wrong residence while trying to collect his twin brothers from a playdate at a friend’s house in Kansas City.
Andrew Lester informed law enforcement that he believed an intruder was attempting to break into his home.
Former President Joe Biden reached out to Mr. Yarl via phone following the incident.
“No parent should have to fear their child being shot for ringing the wrong doorbell,” Mr. Biden stated. “We need to continue our fight against gun violence.”
Fatal shootings frequently occur in the United States, a nation with approximately 330 million people and an estimated 400 million firearms.
However, Ralph Yarl’s situation prompted significant public outrage as the country continues to confront a prolonged history of insufficient accountability for violence committed against African Americans.
