An 86-year-old man in Kansas City, Missouri, has pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in the shooting of Ralph Yarl, a teen who accidentally visited the wrong address. Andrew Lester on Friday agreed to the lesser charge as part of a plea deal, according to US media. His trial was due to begin next week. In April 2023, Ralph Yarl, 16, rang Lester’s doorbell as he went to pick up his younger brothers. Prosecutors say Lester shot the teen without speaking to him. The boy survived. The case prompted protests and attracted attention from civil rights and racial justice advocates, who argued that Ralph Yarl’s race was a factor in the shooting. Ralph is black and Lester is white. Police initially said there was a “racial component” to the shooting, but authorities ultimately opted not to charge Lester with a hate crime.
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