Man Charged in Ralph Yarl Shooting Surrenders, Booked Into Clay County Jail

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The 84-year-old man charged with two felonies in the killing of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl surrendered Tuesday afternoon and was booked into Clay County jail, a sheriff’s spokeswoman said.

Prosecutors on Monday charged Andrew D. Lester with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of Yarl, an honor student at Staley High School when he mistakenly rang Lester’s doorbell in the Northland on Thursday night.

The tweet below verifies the news:

A warrant was issued for Lester’s arrest when the charges were filed and he stayed at large. He surrendered at the Clay County jail and was being booked, said Sarah Boyd, a spokesman for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

The shooting of Yarl caught national attention after Lester was originally detained on suspicion of aggravated assault but was released by Kansas City police.

Detectives in the case said in the probable cause affidavit filed Monday that prosecutors thought the case deserved further investigation following the initial arrest.

Yarl, who is Black, was trying to pick up his brothers and went to the wrong house. Lester admitted to Kansas City police that he opened fire “within seconds” of seeing Yarl on his doorstep. Lester claimed he feared for his safety.

Celebrities and politicians — from Grammy award winner Jennifer Hudson to President Joe Biden — have weighed in on the killing. Many have raised concerns about the killing being racially motivated and voiced anger over gun violence and inequality in the criminal system.

At a news conference Monday, Thompson was asked if race was a role. He said yes, but declined to explain.

Charging papers against Andrew D. Lester in Clay County by The Kansas City Star on Scribd

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