Missouri man pleads guilty to shooting teen who rang doorbell in 2023

Andrew Lester, the 86-year-old Missouri man accused of shooting Black teenager Ralph Yarl after he mistakenly rang his doorbell, has pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal.

Man pleads guilty to shooting Ralph Yarl

Lester pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree assault in the Kansas City 2023 shooting of a then 16-year-old Yarl, who miraculously survived being shot in the head and arm, according to reports.

He will be sentenced March 7 and faces up to seven years in prison.

Lester was set to go on trial next week for charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action, which carried a sentence of up to 30 years.

Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said the outcome “ensures accountability for the defendant, provides closure to Mr. Yarl and satisfies the need to achieve a just result in the case,” NBC News reported.

The family’s frustration with the justice system

Yarl’s family expressed frustration with the deal, saying it does not erase the trauma the teen and the family endured, nor does it address perceived failures in the criminal justice system, including racial bias.

“While this marks a step toward accountability, true justice requires consequences that reflect the severity of his actions — anything less would be a failure to recognize the harm,” the family said in a statement to NBC. “This case has never been just about Ralph — it is about every child’s right to exist without being seen as a threat.”

Yarl mistakenly went to the wrong house to pick up younger siblings

On April 13, 2023, Yarl showed up on Lester’s porch after mixing up the streets while picking up his younger siblings from their friend’s house.

Lester, who was getting ready for bed that night, shot him in the head and said, “Don’t come here ever again,” Yarl testified.

Yarl was knocked to the ground and then Lester reportedly shot him in the arm.

The teen made a full recovery after suffering a traumatic brain injury and has since graduated high school.

He has been described as a “walking miracle with a head of steel.”

“We remain hopeful that his sentencing will not be merely a slap on the wrist but a decision that upholds the seriousness of his crime,” Yarl’s family said in a statement to local media after Friday’s hearing.

“This case has never been just about Ralph — it is about every child’s right to exist without being seen as a threat,” they continued.