Homeowner Pleads Not Guilty In Shooting Of Teen

April 20, 2023 4:24 am

LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — Andrew Lester, the 84-year-old white man who shot Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager in Kansas City, pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance Wednesday. Yarl mistakenly went to Lester’s door looking for his younger brothers. Lester walked with a cane in court as he answered charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting, which has attracted presidential attention and renewed national debate about gun policies. Lester remains free after posting 10% of his $200,000 bond. The bond agreement requires him to relinquish any weapons and have no contact with Yarl or his family. He also agreed to have his cellphone monitored.