Andrew Lester, the 86-year-old Missouri man who shot Black honor student Ralph Yarl in 2023 after the teen mistakenly rang his doorbell, has died just days after pleading guilty to a lesser charge.
Lester, originally charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action, pleaded guilty last Friday to second-degree assault, which carried a potential seven-year sentence. He was set to be sentenced on March 7.
Yarl, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, survived and is now a freshman at Texas A&M, as reported by the New York Post.
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“We have learned of the passing of Andrew Lester and extend our sincere condolences to his family during this difficult time,” the prosecutor’s office said in a news release.
“While the legal proceedings have now concluded, we acknowledge that Mr. Lester did take responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty in this case.”
Authorities have not disclosed a cause of death for the 86-year-old Missouri man who pleaded guilty to shooting Yarl, and Kansas City police have yet to comment.
The case, which sparked national debate on gun laws and race in the U.S., unfolded on April 13, 2023, when Yarl mistakenly arrived at Lester’s doorstep while trying to pick up his twin siblings, thinking they were in Lester’s house.
Lester’s attorney argued he acted in self-defense when he shot Yarl, claiming he was frightened by the late-night knock at his door.
Authorities say Lester shot Yarl twice—once in the head and then in the arm. Yarl testified that after ringing the doorbell, he waited longer than usual before the inner door opened. Believing he was at the right house, he reached for the storm door just before the shooting occurred.
Yarl testified that Lester shot him in the head and told him, “Don’t come here ever again.”
The bullet did not penetrate Yarl’s brain but knocked him to the ground, after which Lester shot him again in the arm. Yarl was hospitalized and released three days later.
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His family said the shooting had a significant emotional impact and filed a lawsuit against Lester, a retired aircraft mechanic.
“Now, another Black child harmed by prejudice will never see the man who shot him face the full weight of the justice system. While Lester finally admitted guilt, it came at the very last moment—after two years of stalling. That delay leaves our family reeling,” Yarl’s family said in a written statement Wednesday.
Lester’s attorney previously stated that Lester’s physical and mental health had declined, citing heart issues, a broken hip, and significant weight loss due to stress from media attention and death threats.
During Friday’s hearing, the judge inquired about Lester’s deteriorating health.
Lester responded yes.
“Ralph is doing his best to be okay,” a spokesperson for the family said in a text.
A judge had earlier ordered a mental evaluation for Lester, but the trial was allowed to proceed after its completion. The results were not made public.
Lester’s grandson, Daniel Ludwig, has not responded to requests for comment.
