After Andrew Lester’s death, never forget Ralph Yarl is the true victim in this case | Opinion
Andrew Lester, the Kansas City octogenarian that admitted he shot teen Ralph Yarl twice in 2023, died this week. Although the 86-year-old pleaded guilty last week to felony second-degree assault for shooting Ralph, I will pause here to offer condolences to Lester’s family.
Lester faced up to five years in prison. He was awaiting sentence when he died. I am sure his family will weep with sorrow about his death. It’s not my norm to speak ill of the dead and I won’t start now.
But Ralph is the real victim here, and we should never forget that fact. Lester shot the teen in the head and arm for no apparent reason, according to court records. Despite Ralph being small in stature, Lester, who is white, reportedly told police he shot the then-16-year-old because he saw a large Black man at his front door.
In a statement to The Star, Ralph’s family said because of Lester’s death justice was never truly served in this case. I happen to agree.
“One of the reasons we pushed for a speedy trial was to ensure the public would see that our society does not condone shooting an unarmed, innocent child simply for ringing the wrong doorbell — especially when that child was targeted because of the color of his skin,” Yarl’s family said.
Lester’s unprovoked attack on Ralph, a Black honor student at Staley High School in the Northland area of Kansas City, garnered international attention for myriad reasons. First, the callousness of the assault shocked many of us — and who could forget the Kansas City Police Department’s lack of urgency in presenting a case file to Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson?
Authorities shockingly released Lester two hours after he shot the teen in the head and arm, The Star reported then.
In a statement Wednesday announcing Lester’s death, Thompson extended condolences to both families, but did not give a cause of death. And no, Lester was not in custody when he passed.
“We have learned of the passing of Andrew Lester and extend our sincere condolences to his family during this difficult time,” Thompson said. “While the legal proceedings have now concluded, we acknowledge that Mr. Lester did take responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty in this case. Our thoughts remain with both families affected by this tragic incident as they continue their healing process.”
By most if not all accounts I’ve read about Ralph, he seems to be an exceptional young man. When he was shot, he was en route to pick up a younger sibling at a nearby home but mistakenly rang Lester’s doorbell instead. That error should not have resulted in this young student being attacked.
No amount of the fear Lester claimed he felt when he saw Ralph could excuse his reprehensible actions two years ago.
“We remain committed to seeking a world where no child fears for their life because of their race and no family has to endure what we have,” Ralph’s family said. “Ralph’s story is far from over, and neither is our fight for justice.”
As news of Lester’s death spreads, we should all take a moment to remember Ralph, the true victim in this brazen shooting.
I am sure the healing journey for the Kansas City teen will last a lifetime.
