Ralph Yarl: Man charged with shooting boy who knocked wrong door

A man has been accused of shooting a teenager who rang the wrong doorbell while picking up his younger brothers in the US state of Missouri.

According to prosecutors, Andrew Lester, 84, has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal conduct.

Ralph Yarl, 16, who is black, was allegedly shot once in the head and once in the arm last Thursday night by Mr. Lester, a white man. The young man lived.

A prosecution claimed that there was a "racial component" to the shooting.

The alleged racial bias is not detailed in the prosecution documents, and Mr. Lester has not been accused of committing a hate crime.

Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson stated at a press conference on Monday: "My message to the community is that in Clay County, we enforce the rules and we obey the laws.

It doesn't matter where you're from, how you look, or how much money you have, said the speaker.

Police first kept Mr. Lester for interrogation before releasing him, setting off Sunday rallies across the city.

Online video reveals that on Monday, demonstrators gathered in front of the suspect's house and chanted, "Black lives are under attack" and "stand up, fight back." It has also reportedly been vandalized at Mr. Lester's house.

"You can't just shoot people without having justification when someone comes knocking on your door - and knocking on your door is not justification," personal injury attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing the Yarl family, said.

Mr. Lester, 84 years - suspect 

On April 13, at around 22:00 local time, Ralph knocked on Mr. Lester's door while attempting to pick up his younger twin brothers from a friend's residence, according to Ralph's family.

According to family members, the kid rang the bell twice after accidentally going to 115th Street instead of 115th Terrace. After being shot, he reportedly visited three nearby homes before getting assistance.

Before the homeowner fired a.32 pistol, no words were spoken, according to the prosecution.

Lee Merritt, another family lawyer, told NBC News that he heard rustling inside the house before the door finally opened.

A man then approached him and yelled at him, "Don't come back around here," before firing his gun.

Local reports state that Mr. Lester admitted to authorities that he fired two rounds through his door because he thought someone was breaking into his house. Another witness claimed to have heard Ralph "screaming that he had been shot" and reported this to the nearby news station.

According to family members, Ralph was healing from his injuries at home after being discharged from the hospital on Sunday.

Paul Yarl, the boy's father, told the Kansas City Star that the charges were "such a relief".

"I'm content. We had been looking for this. It is present.

President Joe Biden contacted the Yarls on Monday, according to the family's attorneys, and they spoke for 20 minutes.

Reporters were welcomed to the White House once the adolescent had recovered, he told the media, adding that Vice President Biden had given his prayers.

A number of well-known people, including Patrick Mahomes, the star quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Justin Timberlake, Halle Berry, and Kerry Washington, denounced the shooting.

 As of Monday, a GoFundMe account created to cover Ralph's medical recovery costs has amassed nearly $2.1 million (£1.7 million).

A 20-year-old woman was shot on Saturday in a different incident in the state of New York after the car she was riding in accidently pulled into the wrong driveway.

Kaylin Gillis was driven away from the site by friends, who also tried to phone for assistance in a neighbouring town, but paramedics later declared her dead.