KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An 84-year-old white man in Kansas City, Missouri, has been charged with first-degree assault for shooting a Black teen who mistakenly went to the man’s home to pick up his younger brothers.
Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said at a news conference Monday that there was a “racial component” when Andrew Lester twice shot 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, but nothing in the charging documents says the shooting was racially motivated.
Yarl is recovering from the Thursday night shooting at home after being released from the hospital.
The shooting outraged many in Kansas City and across the country.
The assault charge carries a penalty of up to life in prison.
