Yarl shooting suspect surrenders a day after being charged
KANSAS CITY, Miss. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - 84-year-old Andrew Lester, who is charged in the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl after he mistakenly went to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers, has surrendered to police.
News of his surrender comes just a day after Lester was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in connection with the shooting of Yarl. Both charges are felonies.
Prosecutors admitted there was a racial component to the shooting, though Lester, who is White, has yet to be charged with a hate crime in the shooting of Yarl, who is Black.
Yarl was shot twice, once in the head and once in the arm, after mistakenly approaching the wrong home around 10:00pm on Thursday to pick up his younger brothers.
An alarmed Lester fired through the glass of his front door after he allegedly saw Yarl pulling on his door handle and thought his home was being broken into.
But Yarl says he didn't pull the handle and that he was waiting at the doorstep after ringing the bell when he encountered Lester holding a firearm at the front door.
Yarl is recovering at home and is expected to survive his injuries.
Lester will remain at the Clay County Detention Center until his arraignment unless he posts bond. His arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday) at 1:30pm Central / 11:30am Pacific.
