A Kansas City resident pleaded guilty to shooting and injuring a Black teenager who rang the wrong doorbell in the neighborhood while trying to pick up his younger brothers.
The defendant in the case was identified as 86-year-old Andrew D. Lester, who has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. The incident took place in April 2023 and resulted in the victim, Ralph Yarl, a high school student, being shot and injured.
Pleading Guilty to a Lesser Charge
Lester is scheduled to return to court next month and could face a range of sentences even after pleading guilty to a lesser charge. The judge could sentence the defendant to up to seven years in jail, issue a fine, or both.
Prosecutors revealed that they are planning to ask for a five-year prison term, but Lester is allowed to request a lesser sentence. The shooting of Yarl resulted in protests in Kansas City as well as sparked outcry across the United States, according to the New York Times.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden also invited the Black teenager to visit the White House following the incident. The shooting raised questions about race within the city where the young boy was shot, as it has a long history of segregation.
Many of the city's residents and politicians have said that they believe that race played a crucial role in Lester's shooting of Yarl. Additionally, the county prosecutor said early on that "there was a racial component to the case."
Potential Hate Crime
One key element of second-degree assault is that defendants have "the burden of injecting the issue of influence of sudden passion arising from adequate cause." Kansas City defense attorney J.R. Hobbs, who is not involved in the case, said that the development could be considered a compromise, CNN reported.
When Yarl showed up on Lester's doorstep on Apr. 13, 2023, he arrived at the 86-year-old's home by mistake after mixing up the streets where he was supposed to pick up his twin brothers.
The defendant's attorney has long argued that his client was simply acting in self-defense when he shot the Black teenager as he was settling for the night. This comes as authorities reported that Lester shot the young boy twice: in the head and the arm.
Lester initially pleaded not guilty to the assault and armed criminal action charges when he showed up in court in 2023. At the time, the defendant was facing a potential sentence of life in prison if he was convicted at trial, as per BBC.
