Andrew Lester, an 85-year-old white man who shot a Black teen at his front door in Kansas City, was charged with armed assault in a case that has spawned protests and community outrage. Clay County prosecutor Zachary Thompson said there was a “racial component” to the incident last Thursday in which Lester twice shot 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who is recovering at home. Nothing in the charging documents says the shooting was racially motivated, but Thompson said, "We understand how frustrating this has been but I can assure the criminal justice system is working and will continue to work." On Monday, President Biden spoke by phone to Yarl and shared his hope for a swift recovery, reports USA Today.
Lester was placed on a 24-hour investigative hold and released, said Kansas City police chief Stacey Graves. said at a news conference Sunday. "There can be no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect after admitting to shooting an unarmed, non-threatening and defenseless teenager that rang his door," said Yarl family attorneys Ben Crump and Merritt. "We demand swift action from Clay County prosecutors and law enforcement to identify, arrest and prosecute to the full extent of the law the man responsible for this horrendous and unjustifiable shooting." Yarl was going to pick up his younger brothers when he went to the wrong address and rang the doorbell, said his aunt, Faith Spoonmore. After he was shot, Yarl ran to three different neighbors' houses to get help, Spoonmore said.