Assault trial against man accused of shooting Ralph Yarl set to proceed

CLAY COUNTY, Mo. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The assault trial against the man accused of shooting Ralph Yarl is set to proceed in February in Missouri.

Both parties had been waiting for the results of a mental health evaluation for Andrew Lester.

Neither Yarl nor his parents were present for Tuesday's hearing at a Clay County court, but Lester was in the courtroom wearing a mask and in a wheelchair.

Lester is accused in the April 2023 shooting that injured 16-year-old Yarl. He has been charged with assault and armed criminal action.

Yarl was shot after he mistakenly went to the wrong door at a home in Northland. He survived, but endured a lengthy recovery from a brain injury.

While another hearing is scheduled in January, the trial is tentatively scheduled in February.